Escarpment
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: The conclusion of the "How to Crash Your Dragon" series. (BOOK 4). Hiccup and the other Riders head to the mainlands after recieving word that they will try to make peace with dragons. Meanwhile, Stoick and his men search for Dagur, who has been missing ever since he tried to have Hiccup killed... *CHARACTER DEATH* HiccupxAstrid! *Sequel to Deranged*
1. Three Weeks Later

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: And here we are! First chapter! I'm really excited to write this one and I hope you guys enjoy it! This is where I'm setting out to wrap up the entire arc. However, once this fanfic is done, there will (hopefully) be another series that follows. They will be separate series but there might be some 'throwbacks' between the two... It just depends.**_

_**A few things I wanted to make note of:**_

_**1. Just as a kind of 'fun fact': this whole series (truly starting w/ Needlemouth) acts as a sort of 'prequel' to the second HTTYD movie. (Or at least how I imagine it will be.)**_

_**2. I don't see this being a terribly long fanfiction (ironically enough).**_

_**3. The title will eventually make sense... XD**_

_**Now, without further ado, here's chapter one! (Warning: bad humor incoming.)**_

* * *

_"This is Berk. A year ago, the occupants of this island thought all dragons were evil and deserved to die. A year ago, even I thought that dragons were evil. I thought killing one would exponentially improve my standards of living. I thought killing a dragon was noble...what I was supposed to do. That is, until I met Toothless. He became my best friend, saved my life more times than I can count. I don't know what I would do without him. He, and my other friends, have kept me alive through impossible circumstances. Simply...I owe all of them my life and I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. No matter what..."_

* * *

"Yahoooo~" A roaring wind blasts through Hiccup's hair as he and Toothless rocket through the azure sky. It's nearly noon on Berk, the only time of day in 'devastating winter' that the two can go flying without ending up with symptoms of hypothermia. The sun is shining, for once not hidden by a blanket of clouds. The feel of its rays warm Hiccup's chilled skin as he and his dragon dance below it.

Suddenly feeling adventurous, Hiccup pats Toothless's side and leans closer to his ear so the dragon can hear him. "What do you say, bud? Feeling up to some sky diving?"

The Night Fury wiggles, his eyes shining with anticipation as he lets out a small droning sound.

Hiccup smirks as he begins to unbuckle himself from the saddle. He can't seem to keep the smile off his face. He missed flying. So did Toothless. Of course, neither of them could complain too much, what with Hiccup's injury... For a while there, getting out of bed and walking around was too much to ask. Let alone flying. But it's going on three weeks now and, while Hiccup's wound isn't entirely healed, he's feeling good enough to get out and do stuff!

He can't help but remember how, previous to the whole 'Dagur incident' he wondered what dragon with cabin-fever was like. Well, now he knows. He also knows that it isn't a pleasant thing and will do just about everything he can to make sure Toothless gets enough excercise from now on...

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Hiccup pulls his legs up and squats in his seat. "Easy, bud..." He says in smooth voice. "Stay with me..."

Toothless flaps his wings furiously, struggling to stay airborne without the use of his tail. Just when he thinks he's going to lose it, Hiccup pats his head. And that's the signal. Tucking in his wings, he spins into a nose-dive toward the water. He didn't even feel Hiccup jump until the boy suddenly appears in front of him, grinning as he watches his Night Fury level off.

"YEAH!" Hiccup cheers.

Toothless roars happily and spins in mid-air, causing his Rider to laugh. They both glance down at the water. It's blue depths are closing in on them fast, the rippling surface looking both beautiful and frightening at the same time as waves crash against a nearby sandbar.

"Alright, Toothless!" Hiccup calls over the sound of the wind. "Ready?"

Toothless drones in response, flipping around so that his back is parallel with the ocean. Following his lead, Hiccup angles himself so that he easily glides into the saddle. Working with quick, expert hands, he fastens the buckle and slams down on the foot pedal. He is immediately rewarded by the tell-tale _click_ as the tail fin snaps open.

"Wooooooo-hooooooo!" He shouts.

Toothless's midnight wings fan open, slowing them down just before they meet the water's face. A wake of white mist sprays into the air around Hiccup as they just skim the blue. He glances back at Hiccup.

The young viking pats the dragon's head. "Good job, bud." He says. "Now let's go-"

"Hiccup!"

Both of them turn to see who's calling him. Astrid flies toward them, mounted on Stormfly. She smirks and waves at him, feigning innocence.

"Oh boy..." Hiccup mutters, returning her wave. "I think I'm in trouble..." He motions for Toothless to slow down anyway and waits for them to catch up. "Uh, hey Astrid! Hi...what's up?" He asks, trying to look casual as he leans on Toothless's neck, but fails when his elbow slides and he has to catch himself.

The blonde smirks at him, seeing the nervousness in his posture. "Oh not much...except..." She folds her arms, finally letting her irritation show. "Your father came upstairs to check on you..and you were gone. No one had any idea where you went."

He flinches. It sounds so much worse when she puts it what way.

Astrid sighs, deeply. "Hiccup, it's only been two and half weeks since..._Dagur_. It's _not_ okay for you to just disappear without telling anyone..."

He groans and rakes a hand through his windblown hair. "I know." He admits. "And I'm sorry...I really didn't plan on being gone this long. Toothless and I were just feeling a little restless. We just wanted to take a lap around the island."

"A lap?" She repeats, arching an eyebrow. "It takes you an hour to do one lap around Berk? Hiccup, I don't want to sound like a nag but...we were just about ready to send a search party out for you! This is not a joke! We haven't seen from or heard about Dagur since he attacked you...he could be anywhere."

Hiccup still shivers at the thought of that. Dagur could be right under their noses and they might not even know...

"Just, please, let someone know before you go flying. For our sake."

He nods, and smiles apologetically. "I will. And sorry for scaring you..."

Seeming satisfied with his cooperation, Astrid offers him a smile as well. "Who says I was scared? I knew you were fine. You're harder to get rid of than Gobber's stench on cleaning day."

"Thanks! I think..."

Astrid chuckles and redirects Stormfly back toward Berk. "Don't stay up here for too much longer. We don't want that wound to reopen." She reminds him.

"I won't, _mother_." He mock groans and waves her off.

She rolls her eyes and taps Stormfly's shoulder. "Come on, girl."

Hiccup watches as she disappears below the tree tops, having landed on the outskirts of the village. Astrid can sometimes be a little overprotective, sure. But, in her own words, it's only because she cares. He smirks and finds himself laughing a little. "Come on, Toothless." He says. "One more time around the island and then we should head back. I want to see how the others have been doing with Ambereyes and Scorch..."

Toothless purrs in consent and twirls around, ascending back to cloud level so they can finish circling the island.

Hiccup's hand unconsciously moves to his semi-healed abdominal wound. It still aches sometimes, like right now. But it seems to hurt worse when he thinks about..._him. _The man who inflicted the injury on him. _Dagur. _ Chills roll down his spine at what Astrid said. 'He could be anywhere'.

That thought does not sit well with him...

* * *

_**A/N: Yay! There's chapter one! I hope you liked it and I can't WAIT to see your reactions to what happens later... *MWA HAHAHAHAHAHA!* XD**_


	2. The Needlemouths

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: I just watched the official HTTYD 2 trailer that came out on Thursday! AHHH! So excited! It looks really good! (Fingers crossed).**_

* * *

A dark shadow glides over the Dragon Training Academy as Toothless soars above it. The Night Fury banks left, then right as he aims for the chain link dome. Flapping his mighty wings, he lowers himself-and his Rider-easily down to the roof.

"Good job, bud." Hiccup says upon impact. "But it looks like we're late...again." He notices his friends chatting, casually with each other. Near the back of the Academy, two dragons are resting. One of them, the smaller of the two, perks its head at the sound of Hiccup's arrival. Turning its scarlet gaze upward, the young Needlemoth hops to his feet and coos, loudly.

Hiccup stares at Scorch in disbelief. He's so much bigger than he used to be! Nearly half Toothless's size! The Rider shakes his head and smiles. _Now that's a growth spurt..._ He remarks. Then, tapping his dragon's side, he tells Toothless 'down'.

The Night Fury obeys, crawling through the narrow gap in the dome and dropping to the floor with a muted _thud_.

Scorch squeals in delight and runs over to Hiccup, bouncing and flapping his yellow wings as he stumbles on uncoordinated, gangly legs. Only then do the other vikings notice Hiccup's arrival. Whatever they were talking about must have had them pretty distracted to not notice a huge lizard dropping into the room...

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs gasps, smiling. "You're training with us today?!" The other kids exchange pleased looks, clearly glad to have him back.

The brunette nods, smirking at his friends. "Of course. Didn't Astrid tell you...?" He glances, curiously at her. Astrid is standing in the corner of the room, along with Stormfly.

She just shrugs. "I wanted it to be a surprise-"

She's cut off when Scorch suddenly leaps into the air, tackling Hiccup to the ground. The month old dragon coos and licks his cheek, clearly happy to see his friend again. Hiccup giggles and wipes the slobber from his cheek, long since having gotten used to the feel of it, thanks to Toothless...

"Hey, Scorch." He says, wiggling out from under him. "It's good to see you again too!"

Only then does Ambereyes stand up and lumber over to them. A deep, velvet purr rumbles from her throat as she nuzzles her savior's cheek. The majestic dragon gazes down at Hiccup with those beautiful, hypnotic eyes of hers, a look of graditude and relief on her reptilian face.

"Hey, girl." Hiccup says, scratching the dragon's chin. "How've you been...?"

She coos in response and bows her head, still purring. Scorch bounces a little, obviously jealous that his mother is getting all the attention now. He lets out a little, throaty whine and flaps his wings in irritation.

Hiccup looks down at him and arcs an eyebrow. "What?" He asks. "Scorch, don't be-" He blinks, recoiling slightly. Scorch coos and tilts his head, his red eyes glowing as they lock with Hiccup's.

Immediately, Hiccup's mind fogs up. He recognizes this feeling...it's just like when Ambereyes paralyzed him. His limbs stiffen up, darkness swallowing the edges of his vision... But he's powerless to stop it.

"Hey!" Astrid gasps as she rushes forward. "Someone stop him!"

Snotlout dives forward, clamping his hands over the dragon's eyes, effectively blocking their effects on Hiccup. Said teen groans and stumbles backwards, slightly disoriented.

Astrid catches him by the elbow, helping to steady him. "You alright?" She asks, earning a surprised nod from Hiccup.

"Yeah...but what was that?" He asks, staring at Scorch in confusion. "Why would he...?"

Fishlegs steps forward, taking on an informative air. "From what we've managed to figure out in the last few weeks, Needlemouths don't master their hypnotic abilities until they're a few months old. Scorch is still too young and is unable to control it." He explains, matter-of-factly. "I think it's safe to assume he didn't mean it..."

Hiccup nods and shakes the rest of the cloudiness from his head. "That makes sense." He says. "So this happened before...?"

"A few times, actually." Astrid tells him. "We've gotten pretty used to handling it...as you can see." She motions to Snotlout and Ambereyes, who are working on helping to drain the built-up venom from Scorch's fangs.

"Hmm...that doesn't seem very safe to be having around the villagers..." Hiccup mutters, mostly to himself, his inner son-of-the-chief kicking in for a moment.

"That's why we've kept him secluded here for the past few days. We've been taking turns flying Ambereyes and helping him figure out how to carry himself in the air."

Then, Hiccup's inner dragon-trainer takes over. "Wait, Scorch is flying now?!" He gasps, excitedly. "How much did I miss when I was recovering?!"

Astrid laughs. "Not much, honestly." She admits. "Without you around, no one's been in the mood to train...Scorch can't get himself more than few feet off the ground yet either."

Hiccup nods, passing a psyched look to Toothless. "Well, if anyone can teach him how to learn to fly, it's Toothless. He had to learn twice, after all."

Astrid smirks at them. "We were hoping you'd say that."

"Yeah, nice to have you back, Hiccup!" Fishlegs says, patting the other boy's back.

"Hmph, I gotta say I'm impressed _you _of all people survived! Dagur's a pretty tough dude..." Snotlout admits, almost bashfully. "So...congrats, man."

Hiccup chuckles, not used to Snotlout attempt at being nice to him. It's almost weird. Of course, he can't dwell on that for too long because the twins suddenly sprint over to him, their eyes alight with fascination.

"But seriously, Hiccup!" Tuff exclaims.

"You've _gotta_ tell us what it was like to get _stabbed_!" Ruff adds.

"Yeah! Was it, like, gory and stuff?! Astrid said you bled a lot! Did it hurt?!" The twins laugh at the thought of being stabbed. As if it's exciting to them.

"Uh..." Hiccup takes a step back, suddenly feeling suffocated by their questions. "I'd rather not...I mean..."

"Guys!" Astrid barks, tugging them away from him. "The last thing Hiccup wants to think about right now is what happened to him! It was scary and he's still recovering from it!"

They pout and glare at each other.

"Yeah, Ruff! What's the matter with you?"

"Me? You're the one who brought it up!"

"Nuh-uh! You're the one who said 'stabbed'!"

"You were talking about blood and gore and stuff though!"

Hiccup inwardly groans, trying to block out their argument that is beginning to remind him of the events he's tried so hard to forget. The nightmares he still suffers are one thing...but to have to talk about it in everyday conversation...as if it's no big deal...? He's just not sure if he's ready for that yet.

"Guys!" This time it's Fishlegs who interrupts them. "Talk about that later." He shoots them a mean look before nodding his head, discreetly, to Hiccup. Both twins glance at him and seem to understand their mistake.

Hiccup's hand is hovering by his wound, a tight look on his face. His eyes seem distant, as if he's lost in thought.

Astrid sighs and glares at the thick-headed siblings before making her way back to her friend. "Hiccup," She says in the brightest voice she can manage.

"Huh?" His head snaps back up, torn from his mind by her voice.

"What do you say? Up for some training?" She asks, nudging his shoulder playfully.

He smiles, half-heartedly, understanding that she's trying to cheer him up. "Yeah." Shaking himself, he turns to Toothless and smiles. "Hear that, bud? You want to go flying a little more?"

The Night Fury hops to his feet and coos, bouncing in anticipation as he spreads his wings. Hiccup laughs at him and hurries over to mount up. Once he's buckled in, he turns to his friends. They're all getting into their saddles as well. Ambereyes strides over him and Toothless, a challenge in her eyes.

Hiccup smiles. Challenge accepted. "First one to the cove wins!" He shouts, directing it mostly to the playful Needlemouth, as well as her hatchling who has crawled onto her back.

The six dragons take to their air, carrying their passengers with ease as they rocket toward the natural clearing in the thicket of woods outside the village. Of course, Hiccup and Toothless take an early lead. Followed closely by Astrid and Stormfly. After them is Ambereyes. Although she doesn't seem to be trying very hard to catch up at this point. She's gazing around, almost nonchalantly.

Hiccup arcs an eyebrow at her. _She's playing with us? _"Hmph." He pats Toothless's shoulder. "Come on, buddy. Let's give her a run for her money!" With that, Toothless straightens out and picks up speed, weaving through the trees until they reach open air. At which point, Hiccup flattens down into the saddle until he's nearly hidden behind his dragon's aerodynamic head. _Let's see just how fast she is!_

The Night Fury tucks in his wings and lets gravity and momentum push him far ahead of the others. His ears perk at the sound of Hiccup's praises and slight laughter.

He purrs at the sound of it and wiggles, approvingly. Hiccup is having fun. For the first time in weeks, he's hearing his Rider being light-hearted and happy again. The Night Fury gains a sense of happiness himself just at the thought of it. He can't even comprehend the amount of relief he feels right now. Like, for the past two and half weeks, he's been holding his breath. And only now has he released it. It's a wonderful, warm feeling.

And another thought occurs to him. Now that Hiccup is laughing and, well, _himself_ again...

Maybe the nightmares won't come for his young Rider tonight...?

* * *

_**A/N: And there's chapter two! I hope you guys liked it! :D I really missed Ambereyes and Scorch in the last fanfic and I'm glad they're back! It's sometimes weird how much of a connection I feel for my own original characters... XD Aaand now I'm being a sentimental weirdo... XD THANKS FOR READING!**_


	3. The Aftermath

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: SO MUCH SYMBOLISM! XD But anyway, this chapter is just more development of what's been going on since the whole 'Dagur incident'. Gives you a tad more insight into Hiccup's feelings about it and how his friends/family are helping him (or not) to deal with it.**_

* * *

He's running. His boots slosh through mud and sleet as he sprints as fast as his legs will carry him. Hiccup gasps for air, his throat clenched tight. His head is pounding. He can't see straight.

Someone is following him...

He can hear their heavy footsteps behind him, echoing off the trees that surround them. Shaking his head furiously, Hiccup narrows his eyes and tries to see past the blurring and stars that ruin his vision.

"Hiccup..."

He shivers at the voice.

"Stop..."

Without warning, Hiccup's feet stop moving. He stumbles, shocked that he can no longer move. His body goes rigid and shivers roll through him. He doesn't turn to face his follower but he can hear their footsteps growing closer. And closer. And closer...

"Hiccup." They say again. It's man's voice. A familiar voice...

"P-please..." Hiccup stammers, tears stinging his eyes.

The man grabs his shoulder and spins him around. But before Hiccup can see who it is, a horrible pain blossoms in his stomach. He screams in agony as the man withdraws his blade from Hiccup's midsection. He laughs, cruelly.

Hiccup sinks to the ground, wheezing as he clutches his bleeding stomach. It doesn't hurt, actually. There's only a dull echo of pain there...but he doesn't seem to notice. He's still gasping and whimpering, knowing he's going to die. The world fades away, leaving only the chilling sound of his attacker's laughter.

"I'll be back..." He hisses.

Hiccup moans and buries his head in his arms. _No...please..._

The footsteps recede into the distance, leaving Hiccup alone. He gasps, fighting the darkness that struggles to consume him. But the darkness cheats. Soon, the sky itself turns dark. No stars or moon rise to break it apart. There's only black, empty darkness...

_Please..._

* * *

"Please...please...no...please no..." Hiccup moans in his sleep, one of his hands clutching his hair. His eyes are squeezed shut, small whimpers and cries escape his lips as he rolls over again. His blankets are strewn onto the floor, twisted up with his constant thrashing. Only his pillow remains, grasped in his clammy, shaking fist.

Downstairs, Stoick sighs as he also rolls over. Apparently, Hiccup isn't the only one who's been having trouble sleeping lately. Berk's chief closes his eyes for the hundredth time, willing himself to fall asleep.

But to no avail.

He sighs again and flops onto his back, staring at the ceiling. It's only then that he hears it. Low whimpers muffled by the wooden surface above him. He sits up, straining to hear. Maybe he only imagined it this time...

"No...no...no..." Hiccup's voice is undeniable this time, much louder than a moment ago. His words tremble with the panic that is rising within him as nightmares tear through his mind. Stoick can hear it and it pushes him to jump to his feet. He runs out of his room and up the steps, arriving in his son's room just in time to see Hiccup jolt upright in bed, a ghostly look on his face.

"Son."

Hiccup jumps, startled by his father's voice. He spins around and stares at Stoick with wide, fearful eyes. "D-Dad...?" He stammers.

"Are you okay, son?" Stoick asks, tiredly.

For a long moment, Hiccup only stares. There's an odd look on his face. A disturbed look. In this level of darkness, his emerald eyes look pale, his face ashen. "Yeah..." He finally answers, although it's just a breath of a word. Both of them know it isn't true. Hiccup will never be okay again...unless Dagur has been dealt with.

"Just...try to get some rest." Stoick tells him.

Hiccup nods slowly and lays back down, turning on his side so his back is facing his father. His impassive eyes stare at the wall. He won't be sleeping anymore tonight...not if it means experiencing that torture again.

* * *

"Alright, guys!" Astrid calls as she claps her hands together. The blonde girl is wearing a bright smile on her face. There's a happy twinkle in her eye as she looks at the group of teens in front of her. "Since Hiccup is still kind of restricted in the amount of flying he can do, I'll be taking over training until he's back to his normal self." She casts a look to Hiccup, who is sitting with Toothless against the far wall.

He smirks at her, a silent 'you'll do fine'.

She responds with a grateful wink and looks back to the others. "I thought we could start with a race. Everyone, mount up!"

And, miraculously, the other teens don't argue with her. They exchange excited looks, all of them loving the idea of another race. Then, they hop into their saddles and prepare to take off.

"Are you coming, Hiccup?" Fishlegs calls from across the Academy.

Hiccup hesitates, reluctant to admit that he isn't exactly feeling up to flying right now. With all the twisting and turning he did last night, his wound has been a little sore and he'd rather not push it. "Nah..." He calls, avoiding his friend's searching eyes. "Toothless and I are a little worn out from yesterday..."

"You sure?" Fishlegs mumbles, seeming to not buy his story.

"I'm sure." Hiccup flashes his most convincing smile. "Go on, Meatlug looks like she's ready."

"Um, okay. If you say so." With that, he hops into Meatlug's saddle and they hover into the air, buzzing through the front door and off into the sky. They are quickly followed by the other teens.

All...except for Astrid.

She frowns at Hiccup, who hasn't noticed she's still there. He looks distant, like his thoughts are a million miles away. He is sitting with his back pressed to Toothless, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. There are shadows beneath his eyes, as if he didn't sleep at all last night.

Concerned, Astrid strides over to him. "Hey," She begins in a gentle voice.

He glances up at her out of the corner of his eye. "Hey." He says. "Shouldn't you be out with the others...?"

She shrugs. "Shouldn't _you_ be?"

He lowers his head so that it's leaning in the crook of his arm. "You heard what I told Fishlegs, didn't you? We're just kind of tired from yesterday..."

"Yeah, I heard." She mumbles. "But I don't buy it."

He arcs an eyebrow at her. "What?"

She sighs, deeply and kneels down beside him. Her expression softens when she says, "Listen...you know you can talk to me, right? What you went through was really tough and-"

"I'm fine, Astrid." He cuts in, harshly. "You don't need to worry about me."

Astrid recoils a bit. Since when does Hiccup talk to her like that? Or, _anyone_ for that matter.

Then, seeing Astrid's surprised face, Hiccup's expression mellows. "Sorry..." He mumbles, raking a hand through his hair. "I didn't get much sleep last night...I guess I'm a little irritable."

She nods and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. And, Hiccup...?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about..._that_ either. He's gone and you're safe now. Just try to forget..."

He lowers his gaze and closes his eyes. "I know. Thanks, Astrid."

She leans down and gives his cheek a soft kiss before standing up. "Remember, if you ever need to talk, I'll be here."

He smirks. "I'll keep that in mind."

With that, Astrid runs off toward Stormfly. She hops into the saddle and hurries to catch up with the other kids. But before she takes off, she looks back at Hiccup one more time.

His posture seems a little more relaxed...but there's a knot between his eyebrows that shows his mind is not as peaceful as his body. There's a war raging in there. One that can't be stopped by simple, kind words and a safe bed to sleep in at night. Hiccup is scared. And it's killing his family and friends to see him like that.


	4. Interception

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: For anyone who was wondering, I did the research. It can take up to several months for a stab wound like Hiccup's to completely heal...it's only been two and a half weeks since his encounter so his injury is still relatively fresh.**_

_**Also, the problem Hiccup is having is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Yeah, a couple of you called me out on it in Deranged XD) If you're curious about the full list of symptoms or whatever, I recommend Webmd. It's a pretty good site and that's where I do a lot of research for my fanfics (particularly my Naruto ones but I've used it twice already for HTTYD).**_

* * *

A slight smile plays on Hiccup's lips as he watches his friends glide through the air. Their dragons flipping and twirling in the sky as they race around the village. He chuckles at the sight of Snotlout and Hookfang. The Monstrous Nightmare is swatting its huge talons through the water, snatching fish out left and right. All the while, Snotlout is yelling for him to focus and get to the race.

Meanwhile, the twins are flying upside down as they cling to Barf and Belch's necks for dear life.

"I said turn left!"

"Well I said turn right!"

The Zippleback groans in frustration at the lack of cooperation between its Riders. Then, the two heads glance at each other before righting themselves again and slamming the twins together as if to say 'shut up and focus'.

Fishlegs and Meatlug slowly buzz through the sky, weaving back and forth as the Gronckle's tiny wings try to support the massive beast, along with her Rider.

"Attagirl, Meatlug! Who's the prettiest Gronckle on Berk? You are!" Fishlegs hugs her around the neck and continues showering her with compliments. The Gronckle purrs and licks her Rider's face, leaving a trail of slobber.

"What are you guys doing?" Astrid calls back, a playful note in her voice. "I thought this was a race!" She easily wheels around on Stormfly and grins at them. "I guess Hiccup is the only one really worth racing here..." Having said that, she grins as four pairs of eyes snap to attention.

"Okay, that's it!" Snotlout jumps back onto Hookfang. "Come on, Hookfang! Let's show her who's boss!"

The twins steer Barf and Belch in her direction, suddenly determined to make her eat those words!

Hiccup chuckles and shakes his head. "Why does everything turn into a competition with these guys?" He hears Toothless coo, as if in response to his question. Suddenly, the Night Fury stands up, almost knocking Hiccup off balance since he was leaning on him. "What's the matter, bud?" Hiccup asks, rolling onto his knees.

Toothless coos again and gives Hiccup a bashful look before turning his reptilian head toward the sky. He flaps his wings a little, signaling he wants to go flying.

Hiccup grins at him. "Well how can I say no to that look?" He laughs as he stands up. "Alright, bud. Let's go-AH!" He doubles over, clutching his throbbing stomach as a sudden sharp pain stabs through it.

Toothless yelps in surprise and hurries over to his Rider, sniffing Hiccup to make sure he's okay. The Night Fury nudges him a little, asking for a response.

"I-I'm okay, Toothless." Hiccup mumbles as he straightens up the rest of the way. "Just a little sore..." Shaking himself, he smiles at the dragon. "Come on, bud. I'm okay to go flying now." He reaches for the saddle but it's suddenly torn from his hand when Toothless jumps away from him. "Toothless...?"

The dragon walks away and lays down on the floor.

Hiccup makes a face and hurries over to him. "What are you doing?" He asks. "I thought you wanted to go flying."

Toothless drones and folds his tail around, nestles his head into his paws and closes his eyes. However, he lifts one wing, making room for Hiccup to sit as well.

Hiccup frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. "Toothless, I'm _fine_." He insists. "Now come on, before the others get too far ahead."

But the stubborn Night Fury doesn't move. He glares Hiccup down and even growls a little, his eyes flicking to the spot on Hiccup's tunic that hides his injury. Toothless squirms over so that he's closer to Hiccup. He wraps his wing around the boy's body, making an umbrella of sorts, before tugging Hiccup toward him.

His Rider gasps as he stumbles forward, ushered by Toothless's wing. However, Hiccup doesn't sit down like Toothless may have liked. Instead, the boy remains there. Seemingly frozen in his tracks.

Toothless tilts his head in confusion. What's wrong now?

Hiccup stares at the wing that encases him. At the sight of it, goosebumps crawl across his skin. It's not the wing itself...it's the color. Black. Just like the sky that swallowed him in his nightmare...like the darkness that consumed his mind after _he_ attacked him. It's an irrational comparison. He knows that. This is Toothless, after all. His best friend. But somehow...being so close...so confined. It sends panic blossoming in Hiccup's chest.

Hearing the way his friend's heart rate has increased, Toothless lowers his wing and wraps it back across his body. He sits up and coos at Hiccup, seeming confused and worried at the same time. Is he okay...?

"I-I'm okay, bud..." Hiccup stammers, taking a small step backwards. "I-I'll be fine...I just need to..." He trails off, shaking his head as stars flash in his vision. _What's wrong with me?! _He wonders. _Am I losing my mind...? This is Toothless! He would never-_

_ "I'll be back..."_

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup cries out in shock and whips around to face who'd spoken to him. His body is trembling, his eyes are wide and clouded with fear.

"Are you alright?" Stoick asks him, noticing the look of sheer terror on his son's face. "What happened?"

"N-nothing!" Hiccup closes his eyes and takes a breath. _Get ahold of yourself. You're fine. _"Nothing." His voice is steadier when he says it this time. Forcing a smile, he adds, "What're you doing here, Dad?"

Stoick stares at him, baffled by the sudden change in his son's behavior. "Um...I came here to tell everyone the good news."

"News?" Hiccup shifts his weight, trying to settle the fluttering in his stomach and the shaking of his limbs. "About what?"

"The mainlanders finally sent word about their decision." He begins.

This time, Hiccup's interest is real. "They did?!" He gasps, searching the arena for Ambereyes and Scorch. They might finally be able to return home! "What did they say?!"

Stoick grins, seeing his son acting like himself. "They agree. They want to make peace with dragons. And they want _you_ and your friends to teach them."

"Us?" Hiccup's face is suddenly alight with excitement.

"Of course!" Stoick says, patting his son's shoulder. "Who else is more fitting to train them? You are the original Dragon Trainer, after all! So? What do you say, son?"

Hiccup smiles in amazement. With all the stress and fear of the last few weeks, he'd almost forgotten about his agreement with the people of Cedany. Maybe now the dragons of the mainlands won't be in danger. And neither will the people. "I say..." He glances back at Toothless, grinning ear to ear. His terror all but forgotten. "That's a great idea! Of course we'll go!"

* * *

"Sir, the word has been sent. Our men are waiting on the shore to intercept their communications." The Berserker solider folds his arms behind his back and looks straight ahead, a stony expression on his face.

The man's leader looks up from his perch on the edge of boulder. He gazes at him with icy, green eyes. "Excellent. Make sure nothing gets through without us seeing it first."

"Yes sir."

"You're dismissed." Dagur says as he stands up, twirling a knife in his hand. Actually, it's more like a machete. Long, sharp and caked in dry blood. Dagur smiles at the sight of the dark red smears, a chuckle going through him at the memory of it sinking into Hiccup's stomach, spilling his blood onto the floor. The way the boy's face immediately turned a deathly white as he slid to the floor, choking and gasping... _You think you're off the hook, Hiccup...? No. _He grins as he runs his fingers over the edge of the blade. _The fun's only just begun..._

* * *

_**A/N: I've always taken a very sick delight in writing certain villains. Dagur is one of them. XD He's just SO twisted! I love it! HAHA! *Ahem.* Anyway...thanks for reading... XD**_


	5. Slow to Heal

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: In which Astrid is evil and Hiccup doesn't want to take his medicine... XD (Sounds like a crack fic! LOL) But trust me, this is plot...it'll get you where you're going!**_

* * *

"Seriously?!" Astrid gasps, smiling broadly. "They agreed?!" The teens are standing in a loose circle at the center of the arena. Their dragons watching over them, as if they understand what's being said. There's a thrilling atmosphere surrounding the kids as Hiccup tells them the news.

"Yeah!" He says, grinning. "Dad said they want _us_ to help them train the dragons!" The ecstatic teen is nearly bouncing with excitement, his mind free of corruption for the first time in weeks.

"Wow! We get to go to the mainlands!" Fishlegs looks at Meatlug when he asks, "What do you say girl? I'll bet they have some really yummy, exotic rocks there!" The Gronckle hops to her feet and pants, happily.

"And that means we get to see those awesome fire cannons that Hiccup was talking about before!" Tuffnut exclaims, flashing a look to his sister.

"I wonder if they'll let us burn anything with them?!" Ruff adds. The two laugh and slam their helmets together.

"So when do we leave?" Snotlout grumbles from where he's sitting next to Hookfang.

"Um, I'm not sure." Hiccup tells them. "Dad didn't mention when we're supposed to go."

"And you didn't ask?" Snotlout snorts and shakes his head. "And here I thought you were the smart one."

Hiccup narrows his eyes in annoyance and sighs.

"OW!" Snoutlout cries out as Astrid punches his arm, rather hard.

"Don't be a jerk, Snotlout." She hisses. With that, she returns to Hiccup's side and addresses the rest of the teens when she says, "For now, let's just assume we leave within the next few days. Let's all go home and pack up some stuff to take with us."

Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins nod their heads. They get up and unceremoniously scramble out of the arena, calling for their dragons to follow them. Once they're out the door, Hiccup turns to Astrid and smiles.

"Thanks." He says. "You're much better at dealing with them than I am..."

"Nah." She shrugs. "They're just more afraid of me."

He chuckles. "Maybe that's what it is."

Suddenly, she elbows him. "Come on, we should get home too."

"Right." He motions for Toothless to follow him as they stroll outside. The sky is still a bright azure blue, although more clouds have rolled in. A dusting of frost has blanketed the ground, some of it compacting into sheets of ice. Hiccup pays close attention to where he places his feet. The last thing he wants is to slip and fall...especially not in front of Astrid.

The two kids and their dragons get to the top of the hill where the path forks, leading in two separate directions. Hiccup passes her a little nervous smile and says, "See you later" before hurrying off toward his house. However, his meager escape plan is thwarted when she suddenly catches his arm, forcing him to stop.

"Where do you think you're going?" She demands.

"Um..." His mind races for an excuse, for once, he comes up blank.

"Hiccup," She releases him and folds her arms. Her face takes on a disapproving scowl when she says, "You heard your father. That wound will close a hundred times faster if you just take the stinking medicine!"

"But-"

"Don't be such a baby!" She interrupts, snatching his wrist once again and hauling him after her. "Come on. It isn't so bad!"

"That's what you think. Clearly, you've never tasted any of Gothi's special 'fix-what-ails-you-tonic' before..." He shivers at the thought of it. "It's like rotten yak milk and dragon spit mixed into a consistency of corn paste..."

"Well that's because yak milk and dragon spit are the two main ingredients." She responds, nonchalantly.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Hiccup yelps in disgust.

She shrugs. "I asked Gobber how she makes it the last time she gave you some... I picked up a few things when I was poisoned too." She explains.

"I wish you hadn't..." He grumbles, swallowing his nausea.

* * *

Gothi offers Hiccup a pleasant smile when she hands him the little bowl of thick goo. He laughs, nervously and thanks her as he takes it. Although there's a distinct green pallor to his face at the sight of it...

Astrid snickers at him and turns away, helping Gothi to retrieve some bandages from a high shelf.

Hiccup groans quietly and squeezes his eyes shut. With a deep breath, he tips the edge of the bowl to his lips and readies himself. It takes a moment for the foul medicine to slide to the edge and spill into his mouth. At which moment, his eyes snap open and he forces himself to swallow, shuddering at the bitter, rotten flavor.

_Dragon spit?! _He chokes back a gag. _What good could that POSSIBLY do?!_

"All done?" Astrid asks in a syrupy sweet voice. The blonde is just barely suppressing laughter at his expense. She holds out her hand and takes the empty bowl from him. "See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

He scowls at her when he growls, "Just remember, Miss Hofferson. I'm gonna be chief someday...and I'll remember this."

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, okay. I'll keep that in mind." After another chuckle, she produces a roll of bandages from the table behind her and tells Hiccup to take off his shirt so she can change his gauze.

He obeys with another unhappy growl, laying his discarded vest and tunic onto the bed beside him. Astrid unwraps his previous dressings and suddenly frowns, a small sigh escaping her at the sight of his wound.

A jagged, half-sealed mark cuts across his stomach. The injury itself appearing pink and tender, dots of red lining the slash where it's still bleeding a little bit. Hiccup avoids her eyes, as if embarrassed by it. She gently moves to his side and begins re-wrapping it, making sure not to press too hard.

But despite her cautiousness, she notices the stiffness of Hiccup's body, the tightness of his fists. His facial expression is a pained one, his eyes hard as he stares at the floor.

"Sorry..." She whispers as she makes another layer.

He nods jerkily, biting the inside of his cheek.

Gothi watches the two of them with curious eyes. A slight smile on her ancient face. She can't help but remember when it was Stoick and Valhallarama sitting in that very spot so many years ago. The future chief and his future wife. It's almost enough to give her deja vu...

"Thank you for your help, Gothi." Astrid says as she stands up from the bed. "I'm taking Hiccup home now."

The elder nods and smiles at Astrid, noticing the way her hand is still lingering on Hiccup's shoulder. And the way he doesn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, thanks Gothi." Hiccup says as he shrugs on his vest and stands up. "See you tomorrow..."

She nods at him and winks, knowingly.

With that, the two teens walk out the door and are greeted by their dragons. Toothless sniffs Hiccup's stomach and warbles at him, bounding a few steps ahead of them. Gothi can still hear their casual chatter as they disappear over the hill into the village.

"A new tail?" Astrid asks him in confusion. "Why?"

Hiccup watches Toothless bouncing down the path ahead of them, droning at Stormfly who is flying overhead. "I feel bad." He admits. "Toothless shouldn't have to be grounded just because I can't..."

"And you think he'd _want_ to fly without you?" She asks skeptically. "Didn't he destroy the last automatic tail you made him?"

"Yeah..." Hiccup nods, remembering the complex tail fin he made during Snoggletog. "But that was before we were so restricted...he wants to go flying, I can tell. But he's pretending he doesn't because he doesn't want me pushing myself..."

Astrid nods, understanding his dilemma. "I guess that makes sense...but how're you going to convince him to keep it? Not to mention leaving you behind..."

He only shrugs. "I'll figure that part out later. Maybe he'll get desperate enough that he won't mind. Who knows?"

"Well, if you're really determined to do this, you'd better start on it as soon as possible. If we're leaving for the mainlands, you'll be too busy training dragons to make a tail for Toothless." She points out.

"My thoughts exactly." He says. "I'll start working on it right away." It's only then that something else occurs to him as well. He's not sure why he thinks about this...he really shouldn't allow himself to think about such morbid things... _Plus, if anything ever happens to me, at least Toothless will be able to escape..._

* * *

_**A/N: Oooh...do I sense foreshadowing...? XD **_


	6. Broken

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: In sharp contrast to the last chapter...we have THIS chapter. Very dark. Very very dark. And sad. You'll see... (Short chapter, sorry about that.)**_

* * *

_Ping, ping, ping..._

Hiccup sets down his hammer and backs off from the work table, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Phew..." He leans on the edge of the counter and closes his eyes for a moment. A heavy tiredness radiates throughout his whole body, slowing his limbs and making him light-headed. Gothi's medicine must be kicking in. It has a bad reputation for making people drowsy. _Hmph...might be time to call it a day. _He tells himself, opening his eyes again and glancing out the window. It's already pretty dark, his father must be wondering where he is.

With a weary sigh, he picks up the metal framework for Toothless's new tail. It would only take him a few more hours to finish... Biting his lip, he looks back out the window. Maybe he could stay just for a little while longer...?

"No..." He shakes his head. "Dad'll probably come looking for me any minute now anyway...I might as well just..."

_"Hiccup..."_

He freezes, chills pricking his spine.

_"I'm not here for Gobber..."_

Spinning around, he stares at the door to the Forge. Closed, locked. Just how he left it. Blinking several times, he takes a timid step backwards. "I'm losing my mind..." He mutters, weakly. "I'm hearing things..."

_"I'll be back..."_

Hiccup flinches at the ghostly voice that echos in his mind. He can clearly remember the look on Dagur's face when he said that in his dream. He was laughing. Laughing because Hiccup was dying. He takes another step away from the door, where shadows are dancing on its wooden surface, playing tricks on his eyes. _There's no one there... Get ahold of yourself..._ He shakes himself and hurries into his workshop, where Toothless has fallen asleep.

"Come on, bud." He whispers, urgently. "Wake up."

The Night Fury moans, tiredly and cracks open an eye.

"Let's get home..." Hiccup mutters, his ears perked for any unordinary sounds. Toothless yawns and stretches in a way that would normally make his Rider smirk and laugh. But Hiccup only goes to the door and waits for his dragon to follow.

Toothless coos, hearing the heightened pulse of Hiccup's heart. He's scared again. Toothless nudges his waist and purrs, trying to make him feel better. It doesn't work. Instead, Hiccup nervously steps into the dark shop and mumbles for Toothless to stay close.

Curiously, Toothless perks his own ears. He doesn't hear anything that would have scared his friend. Nor does he smell a threat. In other words, Hiccup is perfectly safe. So...what's gotten him so worked up?

Hiccup quickly shoves his schematics and the framework for Toothless's new tail into a drawer and fumbles with the ties on his apron. His hands are shaking so bad it takes twice as long to remove it from his body. His heart is pounding so hard, he can actually feel his chest thumping.

_Just relax. Everything is going to be okay... Just-_

_ "Don't worry, Hiccup...this will only hurt for a second..."_

Hiccup cries out at the feeling of someone grabbing his shoulder. Spinning around, he gapes at the empty air in front of him. No one is here... His breaths speed up as his vision turns fuzzy. His throat tightens and he stumbles away, his whole body shaking now.

Right before his eyes, Dagur steps out of the shadows. He smiles, sadistically and holds up a bloodied knife. _"You really should close the window..." _He chuckles in an echoing voice.

Hiccup whimpers as he sinks to the floor, terror sucking the very feeling out of his legs. He can't breathe. He can't move. Squeezing his eyes shut, he braces for the pain. _I'm gonna die..._

"Hiccup!"

_I'm gonna die..._

"Hiccup? Are you in there?"

_He's going to kill me..._

"Open up!"

_Dagur is going to-_

"Son!"

Hiccup screams in terror as someone grabs his arm. Wrenching out of their grip, he whips around and scrambles across the room. Skidding to a stop once he's reached the wall, he buries his face in his arms and whimpers in fear.

"Hiccup...?" Stoick gets to his feet and stares at the cowering boy.

The ice in Hiccup's veins melts at the sound of his father's voice. Lifting his fear-stricken eyes, he finds Stoick standing by the door. He is gaping at Hiccup with a pained look on his face. "Dad..." Hiccup whispers in trembling voice.

Such a simple word, 'Dad'. But to Stoick it means so much more. He strides across the room and kneels down, scooping his son into his arms. Hiccup shaking body is cold to the touch, as if no life exists within it. The broken boy in Stoick's arms accepts the embrace, white-knuckling his father's shoulders as tears burn his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Hiccup murmurs.

"Don't apologize." Stoick immediately corrects him. He picks his son up and cradles his body close to his chest. "We're going home." He assures him. Stoick glances around the shop, trying to determine what could have frightened his boy so much. Of course...it's obvious no one is here. Stoick had to kick the door down to get in here. And the shop is empty, other than Hiccup.

And Toothless...

Said dragon is standing near the front of the shop, where he was before Hiccup fell apart right in front of him. The Night Fury stares at his Rider with equal amounts of confusion and fear. What just happened?

"Come on, Toothless." Stoick mumbles. "Let's go home."

Toothless nods, slowly and follows him out of the Forge. Stoick carries his son back to their house and directly up the stairs to his bedroom. He lays Hiccup on his bed and pulls the covers over his cold, shaking body.

"Are you alright...?" He asks, even though the answer is obvious.

Hiccup hesitates. _Is_ he okay? Even he doesn't know anymore... Of course, he doesn't want to tell his father that. So instead, he simply nods. "I'll live..." He mumbles under his breath.

Stoick grimaces at the empty look on his son's face. "Do you want me to stay...? I could...keep watch if that would make you feel better..."

"No." Hiccup rolls over so that his back is facing his father. "Don't bother..."

"Hiccup-"

"I'll be okay, Dad." But the coldness of his voice says otherwise. Whatever it is that's haunting his son's mind...it may not be physically hurting him.

But it's killing him all the same.

* * *

Dagur smiles, proudly at the sound echoing through the air. He turns to his men and motions with his hands. "Well?" He asks. "What do you think? Did it sound right?"

They all exchange shocked looks, mouths agape.

"Yes sir..."

"It sounded...exactly like it."

"How did you learn to do that?"

"Just like a Night Fury..."

* * *

_**A/N: *Evil grin* 3:D**_


	7. Comfort

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: According to the outline, we're about a third of the way through. Of course, outlines occasionally lie... So, I'll try to keep you updated as we go.**_

_**Also, really emotional chapter...prepare yourself. LOL!**_

* * *

"What do you mean I can't go?!" Hiccup jumps to his feet from the table, staring at his father with wide eyes. "I have to go to the mainlands! The others won't-"

"They'll do just fine without you." Stoick assures him. "I just don't think it's a good idea right now...not after what happened last night."

Hiccup frowns and sits back down, his mind racing for a way to convince his father to let him go. "But...what about Ambereyes and Scorch?" He asks, feebly.

"What about them?" Stoick retorts. "The others trained them just fine. They'll be okay."

"Okay but..." Hiccup grimaces. He hadn't wanted to say this. After all, it might hurt his father to know what Hiccup really thinks...but desperate times call for desperate measures. "Listen Dad..." He begins with a sigh. "I just think...a little time away from Berk would be good for me."

Stoick looks up, intrigued.

"I mean, being here...where it all went down..." He hesitates for a moment. "Leaving for a while might help me not think about it as much... But if I stay..." He pauses again. Should he even say this? "I think it's only going to get worse."

Stoick bows his head, a pang going through his chest at his son's words.

"I...I hear it everyday...the same things. And now...I'm seeing things too. Dad, if I stay in Berk much longer, I think I'm going to lose my mind..." Hiccup bows his head as well, as if to hide his shame for having such a weak mind as to be overtaken by something so simple... He just feels so useless.

"You think leaving Berk will help?" Stoick asks him in a quiet voice.

"Yes." Hiccup hasn't sounded this sure about something in a long time. "I do."

Stoick reaches up and takes off his helmet, running a hand through his tangled, red hair. "Alright. Fine."

Hiccup looks up.

"If you really think it'll help...you can go."

The broken teen smiles, softly. "Thanks, Dad..."

Stoick only nods. His own feeling of uselessness is almost overwhelming. His son is injured after all. In more ways than one. And the only way he can help him is to send him away... "Just try to get better." He mumbles.

"I will." His son assures him. "I think it'll work, Dad. I have a good feeling about this."

* * *

Dagur plants his hands on his hips, gazing around the shore of the mainlands. He nods in approval. The nearest town is miles away. "This spot will do." He says, mostly to himself. He notices the steep cliffs and sharp, jagged rocks that break the water's surface. He can already hear Hiccup's screams...like music to his ears. "Yeah...this place will do just fine."

"Sir?" A Berserker asks him. "What are your orders?"

Dagur smirks at him. "Set up the traps, just like I explained. Hiccup and his little friends will be here in a few days. I want everything up and functioning by the time they arrive."

"Yes sir." With that, a handful of soldiers rush off the boats and into the woods, carrying an assortment of materials needed for Dagur's plot. At this rate, Hiccup will be dead before he trains his first dragon... The mere thought of it sends joyful shivers down Dagur's spine.

_Come on, Hiccup. I'm waiting for you..._

* * *

"Hiccup!" Astrid calls as she swoops down on Stormfly. The lovely blonde is smiling as she lands, an excited bounce in her step as she hops out of the saddle. "Good morning!"

Hiccup forces a grin. "Morning." He replies, politely.

"How did you sleep last night?" She asks, not really looking at him anymore. Her eyes are focused on adjusting Stormfly's saddle.

"Um, fine." He lies. "You?"

She glances at him, hearing the note of falsehood in his voice. "Good..." She straightens up and stares at him. "Are you okay?"

"What?" He asks, laughing a little. "Yeah. I'm fine!" He jumps to his feet, from where he was seated on the ground outside his house while he waited for her. "So, are you all ready for the mainlands? Have everything you need?"

Astrid frowns. "Yeah." She says as she comes a little closer. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You look...bad."

Another bout of fake laughter. "Thanks." He rolls his eyes in his best attempt at sarcasm. "I know I've seen better days but I don't-"

"Hiccup."

He flinches. The look of her face and firmness of her voice assures him. She's not buying it. And he'd better tell her what's up. Now.

"Why even bother?" She sighs as she closes the space between them. "You're such a bad liar. You always have been..." She gently brushes a strand of his hair out of his tired, sleep-deprived eyes. "You can talk to me." She reminds him.

And, with a shaky sigh of his own, Hiccup nods. Astrid's right. He _can _talk to her...the only problem is, he doesn't _want_ to talk about it. It's...embarrassing to admit it. He's losing his mind. He can feel it slipping away from him, day by day. He doesn't want Astrid to know that... "I just..." He avoids her eyes, not wanting to see the caring that's surely there. "Had some trouble sleeping last night...that's all." At least that one's not a total lie.

Astrid frowns at him and steps back. She know it's a lie. "I don't get it." She snaps. "Why won't you talk to me about this?"

He only continues staring at the space between his feet.

"Hiccup, please!" She nearly begs, grabbing his shoulders. "I...it's killing me too, you know!"

He recoils in shock. What does she mean by that?

"Not knowing what's happening to you...and now you won't even talk to me without lying...it's really scaring me now. Please, Hiccup." There's no much, coiled up emotion in her eyes that it's nearly frightening. "Please let me in."

He isn't sure what to think. He's never heard Astrid beg before. She must really mean it. But...why? Why does she care so much? He's doing his best to act normal around her so why is she so determined to the dark truth? Why would she subject herself to all this pain and fear? Suddenly...he almost wants to tell her. To see what she would say...

"Please..." She whispers, staring directly into his forest green eyes.

Hiccup swallows. "I...I'm just..." He grimaces as he finally comes to a decision. Fine. Fine! If she wants to know so bad, he'll tell her. Let's just see how she takes it. "I'm scared." He tells her in cold, clipped voice. "I'm terrified, actually. Everyday it's the same thing." He yanks out of her grip, suddenly angry. "I see things that aren't there...I hear things that don't exist! I'm reliving this _nightmare _over and over and over and it won't stop! I can't make it stop! Nothing works!"

Astrid only stares as he continues to vent, pacing back and forth as his voice gradually grows louder and louder.

"I can't sleep at night because as soon as I doze off, I dream that Dagur is stabbing me or strangling me! I wake up and can't go back to sleep for hours. And when I do, it's the same dream every single time!" He spins around to face her, visually fuming. "Do you know what happened last night?"

"No." She says, stiffly.

"I was wide awake, in the middle of _working_. I thought I heard something...and just..._fell apart_! I was so scared that I actually mistook my own father for Dagur! I screamed and hid in a corner like a frightened animal! He had to carry me home because I couldn't even stand I was shaking so bad..." Hiccup's voice suddenly goes very quiet, he stops pacing and just stares at the ground again. "I'm losing my mind, Astrid." He whispers. "I'm...really going crazy."

She parts her lips to say something, anything to help ease his racing mind. But she's interrupted when he suddenly buries his face in his hands...and laughs. His whole body shakes as he laughs, almost hysterically. It goes on for several, long seconds before he eventually quiets down again.

"Haha...ha...ha..." He shakes his head and takes it out of his hands, noticing the wetness on his palms.

Astrid sucks in a breath at the sight of his tears. Her heart clenches, painfully. "Hiccup..." She whispers, unable to think of anything else to say.

Hiccup mumbles something inaudible under his breath before reaching up and wiping the tears from his cheeks. Great. Just great! Now he's crying in front of her... Because this is just the way to show her- He stumbles forward as Astrid grabs his shoulders. Pulling him in, she holds him close to her.

"I'm sorry..." She says. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup..."

He remains silent, unsure of what she could possibly be apologizing for.

"I had no idea." She continues. "I had no clue you were suffering so much..."

"You couldn't have known..." He points out in a near monotone voice. "I wouldn't tell you, remember?" He feels her nod against his shoulder.

She suddenly pulls away a little and Hiccup finds himself wishing she wouldn't. For some reason, opening up to her seemed to help a bit. "I don't know how to make it go away." She confesses, although her face holds anything but a look of helplessness or pity. She looks determined. There's a fire in her eyes that all-too familiar to Hiccup. "But I'll do what I can to help you get through it."

Hiccup blinks, surprised by her response. He thought she would...actually, he doesn't know how he expected her to react. Only he didn't foresee this. Then again, he should have known. Astrid is strong. Strong in so many ways that he lacks. And, somehow, he finds her words almost...comforting.

"You're going to be okay." She assures him, that roaring flame still burning in her crystal blue eyes. "You don't need to be scared anymore."

And right then, Hiccup finds himself...believing her words. At that moment, he really thinks he might just pull through...


	8. Best Bet

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: This is another one of those 'calm before the storm' type of chapters. Not a lot happens here but it's pointing you in the right direction and getting you where you need to go. Chapter nine should have a bit more action. And, uh...haha...I'm getting really pumped for the climax... XD**_

* * *

Hiccup lays in his bed, his arms folded over his chest. Pale, green eyes staring at the ceiling. He glances out the window. It must be around midnight by now... His gaze flickers to Toothless, snoring quietly on the other end of the room. Then, he listens to the sound of his father tossing and turning in his bed downstairs. He's surrounded by people who wants to keep him safe, he realizes. No way either of them would let anything happen...

_"You don't have to be scared anymore." _

Hiccup draws in a breath, allowing himself to feel comforted by Astrid's words. She's right. Dagur is gone and there's no way he'll be back, what with all the security around the island lately. And besides, by this time tomorrow, Hiccup will be long gone. The mainlands might just provide enough distance to finally put his troubled mind to rest. At that thought, he finds himself smiling a little. _Everything is going to be fine. _He tells himself. _No need to be afraid..._ He closes his eyes and squirms further under the covers. He yawns, loudly.

With all these nightmares he's been having lately, he hasn't gotten much sleep. Maybe that lack of rest is what caused him to flip out of Astrid this morning... At the memory of that, his face heats up. He hadn't meant to act like that and now he feels terrible. But she seemed pretty okay with it. Like she understood where he was coming from...

Hiccup sighs and rolls over, resting his head in the crook of his arm. Pushing all these troubling thoughts from his mind, he resolves to fall asleep. _I need to get some rest if I'm going to be training dragons...the last thing I need is to have a panic attack within biting-distance of some dragon I've never even seen before..._ Flopping onto his back once again, he tries to relax and clear his mind.

Soon, the world fades away and he slips into the first peaceful sleep he's had in weeks. Tonight, no nightmares torture Hiccup's unconscious mind.

* * *

Streams of rosy light dance across the frosted window in Stoick's room. Berk's chief yawns, stretching out his groggy limbs. He sits up and scratches his head, blinking tiredly as he gazes about his room.

_Thump!_

His brow knots at the sound that comes from his son's room. What could Hiccup be doing at this hour- He stiffens. "Hiccup...!" Jumping to his feet, he stumbles out of the room and up the stairs. Is Hiccup having another nightmare? Did something happen?!

He rounds the little corner and peers into Hiccup's room, freezing in his steps at the sight he finds inside.

Hiccup is sitting cross-legged on his bed. He bites his lip in concentration as his charcoal pencil sketches across a page of his notebook. He doesn't notice his father at first. His forest green eyes are sharp with focus as he occasionally looks up at Toothless, who thumps his heavy tail against the floor like a happy dog. The Night Fury, however, does notice Stoick.

And the look in his eyes is enough to confirm Stoick's suspicion. Toothless's face is alight with relief and pure, untainted joy. He wiggles and flaps his wings a little, looking back and forth between Stoick and his son.

"Toothless, keep still..." Hiccup mutters, still knee-deep in focus. "I'm almost done..."

Stoick almost hates to interrupt this peaceful moment. He hasn't seen Hiccup drawing in what seems like an eternity. But he has to make sure... "Son?" He asks gently, so as not to startle the boy.

Hiccup glances over at his dad, offering a little buck-toothed grin. "Morning, Dad." He unfolds his legs and sets down his notebook, a curious look on his face. "What's the matter?"

Only then does Stoick realize he's smiling. "Nothing." He says, shaking his head. "Did you sleep well last night...?"

Hiccup's expression softens a little, still smiling. "Yeah." He says, chuckling a bit as Toothless suddenly bounces over and nuzzles his shoulder. "I did."

"No nightmares...?"

"None." Hiccup confirms, scratching the dragon's chin.

At that moment, Stoick doesn't care what caused this sudden one-eighty in his son's behavior. All he cares about...is that Hiccup is back. The _real_ Hiccup is back. He laughs in relief and walks into the room, kneeling down beside his boy's bed. "I'm glad." He says, ruffling the teen's hair.

Hiccup snorts and blows the bangs out of his eyes. "Glad is not even the word..."

Stoick nods. "Do you...still want to go to the mainlands then?"

"Of course." Hiccup tells him. "In fact, I was about to start packing. The ship leaves in a few hours, right?"

"At noon." Stoick tells him, marveling at the difference one night's rest can have. Hiccup transformed, literally overnight, from a broken-minded, tormented boy...to _this_. His normal self. Is that even possible...?

"We'll be ready." Hiccup assures him as he stands up and grins at Toothless. "Won't we, bud?" He reaches across his bed and grabs his notebook, setting it with the other portraits of the Night Fury.

Stoick inspects them, curiously. Each one is far more detailed than the last. This most recent one, especially, is almost an exact copy of the dragon. Stoick can only assume his son inherited his artistic skill from Valhallarama. He surely didn't get it from his side...

"You woke up this early just to draw Toothless...?" Stoick wonders as he looks back at his son.

Hiccup hesitates and shifts his weight, almost nervously. "Well...I just remembered that...that I never really finished that one..."

"Huh?" He doesn't understand what that means.

Hiccup flashes him a odd look. "That's the one I was working on..._before._" He shrugs again. "I just never got to finish it...so I figured...while I'm here...I don't know...I'd might as well get it done..." He turns away, not letting his father see the frown on his face. _Just in case... _He adds, silently.

Stoick can hear the doubt in his voice, though. He opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by the thundering sound of massive wings beating outside the window.

Seeming grateful for the disruption, Hiccup hurries to the window and looks out. "Uh oh, Thornado looks like he's hungry, Dad...you'd better go take care of him."

"Son-"

"Speaking of which!" Hiccup spins around and flashes Toothless a very convincing smile. "I'll bet you're up for some breakfast too, huh bud?" He goes to the stairs and motions for Toothless to follow. "How does nice Icelandic cod sound?"

The dragon coos and jumps to his feet, seeming to buy Hiccup's 'transformation'. But now, Stoick isn't so sure. And as his son rushes out of the house, he's left with a cold feeling in his gut.

Maybe Hiccup did sleep well last night. But something is still bothering him...

* * *

Hiccup shakes himself as he closes the door. Toothless coos and tilts his head curiously, a suspicious look in his eyes. "I'm okay, bud." Hiccup says. "Let's get to the Great Hall and find the others. I want to make sure everyone's ready to go by noon." _The sooner we get away from Berk the better..._ He remembers the ghostly voice that had echoed through his mind the entire time his father was talking to him. Dagur's threats seem ingrained in his psyche. At this point, he's really starting to doubt if they'll ever go away, if he'll ever be 'okay' again... _Leaving the island is the only way I can be sure... Right now, it's is my best bet of getting through this without losing my mind entirely. _

He swallows. _But what if it doesn't work...?_


	9. Bon Voyage

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N: Just in case I don't get the chance to update within the next two days, I wanted to say Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all you guys! I'll try to update but no promises. (I'll be running around like a crazy woman trying to get everything done for relatives and what-not) Also...(because it's THIS fandom) HAPPY SNOGGLETOG! XDDD (I actually told that to a teacher of mine and she got really confused...haha...)**_

_**Gosh, I was right in the middle of writing the best part of the chapter and I had to stop, mid-sentence, to help my mom make cookies... XD So...not only have I lost my train of thought, I am now covered in sprinkles and icing. **_

_**THANKS MOM!**_

* * *

A group of men and women stand by the docks, shading their eyes from the blazing sun reflecting off the snow. A single ship bobs up and down in the water, a gangway connecting it to the docks.

"Be safe, kids!" Someone yells.

"Make us proud!" Another viking adds.

"You'll do fine!"

Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff and Snotlout wave to the crowd as if they're celebrities, basking in the praise of the village adults. Their dragons coo and chirp, excitedly as the crew of the ship tosses them some fish to eat to keep them occupied while their Riders say goodbye.

Only Hiccup is already on board. He sits on the upper level of the gangway, his knees pulled up to his chin while he waits for his friends. A little smile pulls on his lips when Toothless suddenly nuzzles his cheek, ignoring the feast of fish so he can be with his Rider.

"Aren't you hungry?" Hiccup asks him. "You can go eat if you want."

But Toothless only drones and lays down beside him, flipping his tail back and forth. Only then does Hiccup remember. With a wider grin, he pulls his satchel into his lap and opens the top, fishing through it. Toothless notices this and cranes his neck to see what Hiccup is doing.

"I almost forgot, bud." He says as his fingers finally find what he was looking for. Pulling the multifaceted, metal object from the bag, he holds it up so his dragon can see it.

Tilting his head in curiosity, Toothless sniffs it.

Hiccup gets up and walks around behind the Night Fury, telling him to stay still. He kneels down by the dragon's tail and unhinges his old rudder. Sliding it to the side, he slips the new device over Toothless's tail and snaps everything into place, fanning open the mechanism so he can inspect it.

"What do you think, bud?" He asks as he stands up, satisfied that everything fits correctly.

Toothless gets up as well. He stares at the tail fin strangely, wondering what this is and why his Rider took the other one off. Of course, the look on Hiccup's face is enough to make him think that, whatever it is, it must be good. Wiggling his butt, he lifts his tail and shakes it a couple of times. It clicks a little but, otherwise, nothing happens.

Hiccup snickers and shakes his head. "Sorry, I forgot." He leans down and grabs a little switch on the side of the machine. After having flipped it up, Toothless feels a definite change in the fin. He shakes his tail again and, this time, it pops open. His gummy mouth falls open in realization. Hiccup laughs nervously, remembering how his dragon ran off during Snoggletog after receiving a tail like this one. "So? What do you think...it's just so you can fly while I recover. Oh, but see this?" He taps the switch that he pulled a moment ago. "This way, it's like a compromise. When I fly, I can steer you and when I'm not...you can steer yourself."

Toothless curls his tail around and sniffs it, noticing the scent of oil and leather that lingers on it. It's definitely not his real tail but it feels so much like it! Hiccup never ceases to amaze...

"Haha...so, Toothless-AH!" He yelps in shock as the Night Fury tackles him, leaving long, slobbery lick along his entire face. "Ohhhh...Toothless...!" He wipes the drool away with his sleeve but laughs. "You're welcome, buddy."

Toothless hops away. Snapping his tail open again, he rockets into the sky. Hiccup watches as the Night Fury swirls through the air, eventually landing on the top of a mast. He turns upside down and coos at Hiccup, his tongue hanging out.

The young viking can't help but laugh at the sight of it. Silly dragon. "Unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, my butt..." He snorts. Hiccup turns around, hearing the sound of someone climbing up the gangway. He shifts, uncomfortably, at the sight of his father.

"Son." Stoick says, offering a little smile.

"Hey, Dad." Hiccup responds, suddenly wishing Toothless were here next to him. He walks over and stops in front of his father, shifting his weight nervously. "Um...I uh..." He sighs and crosses his arms over his chest. "I'll see you when I get back..."

Stoick only nods. "Be safe, son."

"I will...take care of everyone here." Hiccup says, motioning to the other vikings. "Make sure the dragons in the arena get fed enough."

"I will." The awkward silence that follows seems to stretch on for a long time. That is, until Stoick suddenly decides to just say it and get it over with. "While you're gone, we're going to look for Dagur."

Hiccup tenses. He was afraid of this... "You don't have to." He mutters. "I'm fine, Dad. That would only cause more trouble-"

"No. I _do_ have to."

Hiccup looks up at him with pained eyes. "What if it does start a war this time?"

"I'll do what I can to avoid a war." Stoick assures him. He lowers his voice before saying, "But I can't keep sitting around, doing nothing to help you."

"Dad-" Hiccup starts, wanting to tell him he's done plenty.

"You're my son, Hiccup." Stoick cuts in. "And I love you."

Hiccup stares at him in shock. He can't remember the last time those words left his father's mouth. Not since... _Since Mom. _He pushes those thoughts away. Now isn't the time to think about that.

"I _want_ to keep you safe." Stoick continues. "So do the others."

Hiccup bows his head, biting the inside of his cheek to combat the tears that sting his eyes. "Right..." He murmurs under his breath. "Th-thanks..." He really isn't sure what else to say.

Stoick pats his son's shoulder and smiles. "Good luck on the mainlands."

The young Rider takes a breath and regains his composure before looking up. With a little smile of his own, he says, "You too. And give Dagur my _warmest_ regards when you find him."

His father chuckles, a knowing glint in his eye. "Oh don't worry...we'll take good care of our friend Dagur..."

Hiccup snickers and shakes his head. "See you when I get home."

Stoick nods. "Be safe. And watch your friends. You're in charge."

Hiccup snorts and rolls his eyes. "Can I get that in writing?"

Stoick laughs and pats his son's shoulder one more time before turning and walking back down the gangway. "Be good!" He calls from the shore.

"I'll try!" Hiccup retorts, flaunting his best sarcastic grin.

Only then do his friends start filing onto the ship, their dragons in tow. Ruff and Tuff immediately run to the nearest mast and start wondering how much it would hurt if they fell from the top of one... Snotlout and Fishlegs seem to be arguing about something as well, although it's more likely that Snotlout is just being a jerk and Fishlegs is defending himself.

"Hey,"

Hiccup turns to find Asrtid and Stormfly standing behind him. The blonde eyes him curiously before saying, "So it looks like you finish Toothless's tail."

"Yeah." He nods, glancing at the Night Fury who is still gliding around the top of the ship, obviously enjoying being able to stretch his wings after so long. "I'm glad I got the chance to this morning. Otherwise, this would have been one boring trip for him."

She nods and leans on the railing of the ship beside him. In a low voice, she asks, "How're you...feeling today?"

Hiccup hesitates. A small grin crawls onto his lips when he glances over at her. "Better." He admits, waving to the crowd a bit as the ship pulls away. "What you said helped..."

She stares at him. "Really?"

He nods.

"The nightmares...?" She wonders.

"None last night."

"And the...hallucinations?"

He shrugs. "Less than there were."

Astrid smiles at him, her blue eyes shining with relief. "I'm glad. You had me worried there for a while. Does this mean...you're getting better?"

Hiccup can only shrug. "Don't know. I'm just hoping that this trip will take my mind off of it. Maybe when we get home, they'll be gone and won't come back." He almost gasps when she suddenly kisses his cheek.

"Let's hope so." Astrid stands up and winks at him. She grabs his hands and tugs him away from the railing. "But for now, let's just try to forget about all this stressful stuff."

Hiccup laughs as Astrid hauls him over to their friends. Toothless jumps down and joins them, nuzzling his Rider with a series of purrs and coos.

_Maybe Astrid's right... _Hiccup muses as he sits down with the others. _I've been thinking about this too much. Maybe just relaxing and getting my mind off Dagur will help more than I thought._

Dagur...

Hiccup smirks at the thought of his father tracking him down. _Then again...maybe it wouldn't hurt to fantasize a little..._


	10. Recovering

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**A/N: HAPPY SNOGGLETOG~! XD (I'm wrapping Christmas presents and helping prepare for relatives while writing this chapter so... XD MULTITASKING!) A real 'cheery' chapter for the holidays... *sarcastic smirk***_

* * *

The sky is already dark by the time the ship arrives at the mainlands. The horizon is blazing orange and red, the black silhouettes of sea birds drifting across the setting sun. Their cries can be heard clear as a bell, even where the crew members have landed.

The Riders gaze out upon the dense forests that separate them from the village of Cedany. From what Hiccup told them, it isn't _too_ far... Especially since they have their dragons. With that assurance, the Riders file out onto the shore, their dragons hovering not too far away.

"This place doesn't seem too big." Snotlout grumbles as he eyes the forest. "The way you talked about it, I pictured something much more impressive..."

Hiccup just rolls his eyes. "You have no idea. Just wait until you have an aerial view."

The Riders glance back at the crew, who are coming off the ship as well. "You don't have to bother coming with us." Astrid tells them. "We'll be fine."

One of the other vikings shakes their head. "We have very specific orders from Stoick to make sure you kids arrive at the village safely."

Astrid glances at Hiccup, obviously wondering what he thinks. He just shrugs and hops into Toothless's saddle. If they have orders, they have orders. No point in arguing with them.

"Alright then." She mutters, waving at Stormfly so she'll follow. Armed with a few lanterns and Hiccup's crude map of their route, the Berkians delve into the tree line, planning to arrive at the village within the next hour.

* * *

Dagur chuckles, quietly at the sight of one of Berk's ships dropping anchor on the shore. Through his spy glass, he can vaguely make out Hiccup's shape seated on the deck, along with the other Riders and dragons. He looks like he's made a pretty good recovery... Ah, what a shame. Dagur had been hoping he'd left a few mental scars on the brat but Hiccup is smiling and even laughing a little at what his friends are saying.

Clearly, Hiccup is not broken enough.

The sound of rustling bushes draws his attention away from the ship. Another Berserker crawls into Dagur's narrow clearing. He eyes the vessel suspiciously before saying, "Sir, we have everything set up. Should we proceed once the kids are off the ship?"

Dagur hesitates, watching as the gangway is dropped and Hiccup casually strolls onto the shore, along with his pet Night Fury. The dragon seems to not notice his presence, only a few hundred yards away. However, Dagur knows that if he moves the wrong way or the wind changes direction, he'll be spotted.

And we can't have that, can we...? That would ruin all the fun.

"No." He answers, stuffing the telescope into his waistband. "There's been a change of plans..." A cruel smile crawls onto his lips.

"Sir?"

Dagur shuffles back a few steps, using the tree line to hide himself. "I've decided to put my dragon call to use...I'd like to speak with Hiccup face to face." A laugh rumbles in his chest when he says, "I wonder how Hiccup will react...when he sees his precious _'Toothless'_ dead at my feet...?"

* * *

It seems word spreads quickly on the mainlands because by the time the Riders arrive at Cedany, nearly the whole town is outside, waiting for them. Excited chatter erupts as soon as Hiccup and Toothless step out of the trees and onto the lit, paved walkways.

"He's riding a dragon...!"

"He's amazing...!"

"Such a young boy..."

Hiccup steals a look back at Astrid and the others, slowing down so they can catch up. Ironically enough, this amount of undivided attention feels uncomfortable for the chief's son. He's used to a certain level of respect from his fellow villagers...but _here, _it's like they're all full-blown celebrities.

"Look at them...!"

"Riding dragons..."

"Incredible...!"

Astrid and Stormfly quickly fall into step beside Hiccup, the blonde girl flashing him a happy smile. "Quite the welcoming committee..." She mutters.

"Yeah, this place seems different from before." Hiccup comments, noticing a severe lack of armed guards and frightening weapons that used to line the streets. It really is a wonder how quickly this place turned itself around... _What changed...? _He wonders.

"Hiccup!" At the tone of the familiar voice, the rest of the crowd goes nearly silent. The citizens of Cedany split, creating a path for their leader. Merek smiles at the teen as he walks toward him. "I was beginning to wonder if our message got to you." He chuckles, extending his hand and patting the boy's shoulder. "Welcome back."

Hiccup grins, bashfully. "Um, thanks Merek." He says. "These are my friends, the other dragon Riders." He motions to Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, introducing them one by one.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Merek tells them. "And...these are _your_ dragons." He watches the reptilian creatures with a wary eye, clearly not comfortable with their close proximity. "Nice to meet them too...I suppose."

Hiccup smirks. "You don't have to be nervous."

"Yeah, they won't hurt you as long as they know they can trust you." Astrid chimes in. "In other words, relax. You're fine."

Merek nods and visibly loosens up a bit. "Well," He finally manages to tear his gaze away from the dragons and back to Hiccup. "There's someone else you'll probably want to meet."

"Oh?" Hiccup scans the crowd. "Who?"

"Dragon Riders," Merek stands aside. "This is Marcus, our village's own expert on dragons. He can tell you anything you need to know on the dragon species that live here."

From the crowd, an elderly man hobbles toward them. There's something about him that reminds Hiccup of his very own mentor. Maybe it's the way his beard is done up in two, sloppy braids or maybe it's the peg-leg...but there's definitely a Gobber-esque feeling to this man.

"Marcus?" Snotlout mutters, flashing his friends a look. "What kind of a name is that?"

"Hush!" Astrid snaps. "That's probably as normal as 'Snotlout' around here. Don't be rude!"

But Marcus either doesn't hear him or chooses to ignore him because he simply smiles at the teens and says, "It's nice to meet you all. I'm...not entirely sold on making peace with those beasts yet...but I have a great respect for Merek and if he thinks we're doing the right thing then..." He shrugs. "I'll do what I can to help."

"And we appreciate it." Hiccup tells him. Then, with an almost disbelieving grin on his face, he asks, "So you really know everything there is to know about the mainlands dragons...?"

Marcus grins at the clear challenge. "Everything from why Fearsome Needlemouths don't breathe fire to why Gruesome Gargantuans steal people's shoes."

"I thought trolls did that...?" Tuffnut mutters.

"A common misconception." Marcus tells them.

"Wow!" Fishlegs gasps, nearly bursting with anticipation. "We can learn so much from each other! This is gonna be great!" He grabs Hiccup's arm and shakes it in his excitement. "Right, Hiccup?! This is gonna be so awesome!"

Hiccup can't help but laugh at his friend's enthusiasm. "It'll be great to be able to add more to the Book of Dragons." He agrees.

But suddenly, Merek steps in again. "And you'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow. As for now, it's getting late and my people surely have a lot to do before they go to bed so, for now, why don't I show you to your room so you kids can get some rest."

The Riders accept and follow Merek further into town, keeping their dragons very close and under control as they weave through masses of wary-looking townspeople.

They eventually reach a rather large house, built on thick stilts so that it sits several feet above the ground. A set of steps leads up to the front door, which is decorate with-what Hiccup can only assume to be-Cedany's coat of arms.

Merek throws open the door, revealing a huge inner chamber. The floors are covered with some kind of strange, red fur-looking substance that is soft to the touch. The walls are a mosaic of paintings and other decor. There are a total of six beds, pushed up against the walls. All of them looking cushy and luxurious, littered with thick, silky quilts and enormous throw pillows. There is a fireplace already burning in the far corner, six chairs placed around it. In all, this place looks more comfortable than all of Berk combined...

"Wow..." Astrid whispers, awe-stricken. If there's one thing the mainlanders do right, it's hosting guests.

"I CALL THE TOP BUNK!" Tuffnut nearly shouts as he and Ruffnut sprint into the room, nearly barreling into everyone else in the process.

"There are no bunk beds, idiot!" Ruff retorts.

"Oops, old habits die hard, I guess..."

Snotlout goes in as well and immediately digs into the basket of goodies on the squat coffee table. "Mmmm! Is this smoked trout?!"

With that, Fishlegs is done as well.

Leaving only Hiccup and Astrid standing with the dragons.

"Thank you, Merek." Hiccup says with an awkward smile. "We can't say how much we appreciate all this hospitality."

Cedany's chief smiles. "Nothing is too good for our guests. After all, you and your friends are going to change this place for good, I can feel it. If all goes well, we won't have to fight dragons anymore...we won't have to lose anyone like that ever again..." He trails off for a moment, seeming distant. Then, with a shake of his head, he says, "Is there anything else I can get you before you hit the hay?"

Astrid chuckles and looks at her friends. They're all pigging out on smoked fish and fresh, juicy fruit. "I think we're good." She assures him.

"Excellent." He motions at the dragons when he says, "You can keep them in the barn behind the house if you want."

"All of them...except Toothless." She snickers, casting a knowing look at Hiccup. "He likes to stay with Hiccup."

After a moment of contemplation, Merek shrugs. "Just keep him under control and I don't mind where he sleeps."

"Thank you." Hiccup scratches his dragon's chin. "We appreciate it."

The man laughs. "You're awfully modest for the son of chief." He comments. "I wish my son was as polite as you."

Hiccup blushes, once again feeling awkward with the attention. "Um..well..."

Astrid rolls her eyes at him. "Come on, _Prince Hiccup_, it's time to get your beauty sleep."

He glares at her, earning another laugh from Merek. "She's right, Hiccup. I'll see you all tomorrow. Good night."

"Night." They reply. They watch as Merek walks down the street and rounds a corner, disappearing from sight. Closing the door behind them, they join their friends by the fireplace, joining in on the buzzing chatter about how awesome this place is.

Hiccup shivers with excitement. _I can't wait to hear what Marcus knows...heck, we might even need to add a second edition to the Book of Dragons! _It's while he's thinking about this, that he realizes something...

_I haven't had a hallucination all day...! Maybe it's really working!_


	11. Ensnared

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**A/N: And here's where things get interesting... (Also, the pacing of this chapter might be a little weird. Sorry in advance.) **_

_**We're a little more than halfway through at this point. The climax is looming ever closer...**_

* * *

Blinding light glares off the snow that blankets the ground around Cedany's arena. A harsh wind howls through the trees, rattling their branches and sending frost raining through the air.

Dagur is crouched among some of those trees, being very careful to stay hidden. He smiles at the handful of figures conversing within the to-be training academy. He can clearly see Hiccup standing across from Merek, explaining something about trust and not being afraid... There are two unfamiliar dragons with them as well. A kind that Dagur has never seen before. Hiccup seems comfortable around them, even scratching the bigger dragon's chin.

However, for once, it's not _Hiccup_ who has Dagur's attention. The Berserker's gaze is locked on the boy's Night Fury, curled up at the door of the arena, his eyes closed but tail flicking back and forth. Toothless is awake and in the perfect position for Dagur's trap...

_Let's just see how loyal he is...when he thinks his Rider is in danger._

With that, Dagur draws his machete from his waistband and chuckles, quietly. He slinks out of the woods and twirls the knife in his hand. Now all that's left is to get the beast's attention.

* * *

Toothless purrs contently where he lays, basking in the warm sun. He can hear his friends' voices inside the arena, attempting to describe how to get dragons to trust you. He lets out a deep yawn and stretches his paws out in front of him. It's when he's drawing in another breath that he notices...

His nose twitches. That scent...

Toothless's eyes fly open and he instantly jumps to his feet, a growl ripping from his throat. Right there in front of him, standing in plain sight...is Dagur. The very same man who ruined the Night Fury's Rider.

How dare he? How _dare_ he come back again?!

Without another moment's thought, Toothless roars and sprints after him, planning on sinking his teeth into Dagur...but not before toasting him with the hottest plasma blast he can possibly make.

Dagur smirks at him and starts to run.

That's strange, Toothless decides. But he really doesn't care. Whatever it is that Dagur has planned, he's sure he can handle it. Especially if it means keeping Hiccup safe.

However, as Toothless chases Dagur into the woods, intent on killing this man once and for all, he has no idea of what the Berserker _really _has in store for him...

* * *

"Easy..." Astrid holds up her hands, motioning for Ambereyes to stay calm as Merek clumsily climbs into her new saddle. "Easy, girl..." The Needlemouth warbles and shifts, uncomfortably. No humans, other than Hiccup, have ever ridden her before. She isn't used to the feeling.

Hiccup smiles at them from where he sits beside Scorch, petting the hatchling to keep him calm and under control. The tiny dragon flaps his paper-thin wings and whines, stomping his gangly feet on the floor. "Hey, relax." Hiccup tells him, stroking the dragon's head. "Before you know it, that'll be you getting ready to go flying. How's that sound?"

Scorch coos and tilts his head, momentarily distracted by Hiccup. He flaps his wings again, as if asking if that's what he means.

"Yeah. As soon as you're old enough, Toothless I are gonna show you how it's done." Hiccup assures him. He twists around to face the door of the arena, where Toothless is surely waiting for him. "Right, bud?" However, Hiccup's brow furrows in confusion when he realizes. "Toothless...?" He pushes himself to his feet, motioning for Scorch to stay put. Hiccup walks over to where his dragon had been laying...only to find the spot empty. _Where did he go...? _He wonders, nervousness pricking at his insides when he remembers the Night Fury's new automatic tail. He could be anywhere...

He turns back around, glancing at his friends. None of them-except Scorch, of course-have noticed his absence. _Maybe I should-_

"_RAAHHH!"_

Hiccup gasps and spins back around, facing the tree line. _That sounded like... _His stomach twists into knots, a feeling of dread pulsing through his chest. _A Night Fury call... _However, something doesn't feel right. Something inside Hiccup is telling him not to go after Toothless...

But then-

"_RAHHHHHHHHH!"_

That one sounded...pained.

"No..." Hiccup shoves away his fearful thoughts and starts running, pumping his legs as fast as they'll go. He ignores the sharp stabs of protest from his wounds and just continues sprinting in the direction of his dragon's voice. _I'm coming, Toothless! _He shouts in his mind, as if hoping his friend can hear his thoughts. _Just hang on!_

* * *

Scorch whimpers, his little ears folding back against his head at the sound of Hiccup's feet suddenly taking off at full speed. He also heard the Night Fury call. Something's up. He lets out a little cry of his own, attracting the attention of his mother.

Ambereyes coos at him, sensing his fear and worry. What's going on? She turns around to face him, jolting Merek in his seat so hard he nearly falls off.

Scorch jumps to his feet and scurries to the door, whining nervously. Hiccup is in danger. He bobs his head and whimpers.

"Scorch?" Astrid asks as she walks over to him. "What's wrong?" She glances around the room and frowns. "I thought Hiccup was keeping an eye on you..."

Scorch cries out at the sound of Hiccup's name.

Astrid bites her lip and turns to the other Riders. "Does anyone know where Hiccup and Toothless went?"

Fishelgs, Snotlout and the twins exchange looks. "No." They say in unison.

"Why?" Fishlegs asks. He sets down the Book of Dragons, which he'd been occupied with filling out.

"They're gone." She tells him, worry plain in her voice.

"Maybe they went flying." Tuffnut offers.

"Yeah. _Or _maybe they decided to go cliff diving! That's really fun!" Ruff adds. "Especially when you forget to tell your dragon to jump with you!"

"Yeah! I saw my life flashing before my eyes once!" Her brother cheers. "So awesome!"

"Guys!" Astrid interrupts them. "This is serious!"

"Why?" Snotlout grumbles as he tosses another fish to Hookfang. "They're right. He and Toothless probably just went flying."

"Without telling anyone?" Astrid shakes her head. "No, he'd warn us ahead of time so someone else could keep an eye on Scorch..."

"Hmm...you're right about that." Fishlegs says. "Hiccup is very responsible. And besides, he _is_ hurt."

"That's it." Astrid says. "I'm going after him. You guys stay here and keep helping Merek and Ambereyes. I'll be back." She turns to Stormfly and calls her over. "Let's go, girl. We need to follow their scent."

* * *

Hiccup ducks beneath a fallen tree and side-steps through a group of brambles. He can clearly see his dragon's huge footprints in the dirt and, by the spacing between them and their depth, it looks like Toothless was running from something. Or...after something. Maybe he saw a bird and chased after it...? But he _did_ call out to Hiccup. It can't be that easy. Something's wrong.

Just then, Hiccup hears the call again and his heart leaps at the closeness of it. Spinning around, he squints through the dimly lit forest, trying to pinpoint where it's coming from.

"TOOTHLESS!" He shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth to help project the sound. "WHERE ARE YOU, BUD?!"

He gets no response.

"TOOTHLESS!" He tries again, hearing his own desperation echoing off the trees. "COME ON, BUD! ANSWER ME!"

Nothing.

Grinding his teeth together, Hiccup continues running. Toothless has to be here somewhere. And he _will _ find him! He hops over a log, landing with a muted thump. _What could have happened to him? _ He wonders as he struggles to keep track of Toothless's prints in the chaotic mess of twigs and dead grass that lay below him. _I hope his tail didn't malfunction or something...he could have crashed._

Goosebumps crawl over his skin at that thought. He can't help but remember how the two of them had crashed a couple of months ago. Toothless had been pretty badly hurt... It took him nearly two weeks to get back to normal after that. Even now, he has a little pale scar on the back of his leg from the wounds he acquired trying to shield Hiccup as they busted through trees and vines...

Hiccup grunts at the pain in his stomach as he hauls himself over the top of a broad boulder. He's sure he'll have to take pain medicine after this one... Of course, it will all be worth it once he finds his dragon and makes sure he's okay. He _has_ to be okay...

Just then, Hiccup rounds the corner of a cliff side. He immediately notices the additional footprints beside Toothless's. Lots of them. And they're human... What on earth happened here...?

His ears perk at the sound of a small whimper, a few feet away. Adrenaline slams through his veins and he runs into the artificial clearing, scanning the shadows for the source of it.

Just then...

"Oh gods..." Hiccup breathes, his face paling. "Toothless...!"

Now _this _is not what Hiccup expected to find. He clearly had not foreseen finding Toothless bound by several bolas, a muzzle trapping his mouth shut.

Toothless notices Hiccup and begins to struggle, little mews and growls escaping him as he feverishly looks around the, otherwise empty, clearing. No! Hiccup can't be here! Dagur is still here!

"Hang on, bud!" Hiccup says as he hurries over, kneeling beside the dragon to undo his bindings.

"Hiccup..."

He whips around at the sound of the voice, his heart hammering with adrenaline and fear. "Astrid?" He asks. "What are you doing here?"

"We followed you." She says, motioning to Stormfly who is perched on a thick branch of a tree above them. "What happened to Toothless?!"

"I don't know." Hiccup admits as he turns to free his dragon. "Looks like he got attacked..."

"But who would-" Her voice is cut off as a hand clamps over her mouth. Her captor spins her around and punches her square in the solar plexus. She sees stars and before she can make another peep, the world fades away in front of her.

Seeing her Rider being attacked, Stormfly squawks and whips her tail around, preparing to fire. However, another set of bolas are thrown at her. The Nadderhead is knocked to the ground, landing heavily on her back.

Hiccup stares at their attackers with quickly mounting terror. He stumbles away until his back is pressed to something and he can't move any further. Ghostly voices flood his ears, his body begins to shake violently.

"Ohhh..." Dagur smiles, liking what he sees. "What's the matter, Hiccup? Did I scare you?"


	12. Not So Broken

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**A/N: Believe it or not, this is technically NOT the climax... XD**_

* * *

Toothless growls as Dagur steps out of the tree line. Or, at least, he tries to. With this muzzle on, it's hard to make any sound at all. At first, Hiccup doesn't notice him. It's once Astrid has been knocked out and Stormfly has been trapped, that Hiccup seems to hear his pursuer. There's a pained look on Toothless's face when his Rider turns and sees Dagur standing there, machete in hand.

It must seem like his worst nightmare come true...

"Aw, what's the matter Hiccup?" Dagur chuckles as he and his men begin to close in. "Did I scare you?" There are five of them in total. Clearly, Dagur hadn't thought it necessary to bring a large team to dispatch one, tiny boy.

Hiccup, however, doesn't seem to care how few of them there are. He's outnumbered and outmatched. Basically, he's doomed. And, by the look on his face, he knows it too.

Toothless's Rider stumbles backwards, his face paling at an alarming rate. If it wasn't for the sharp, terrified look in his eyes, Toothless would be worried he would simply faint. But no. Hiccup remains on his feet, trembling in terror as the object of his hallucinations and nightmares draws a bit closer.

"What's that look you're giving me, Hiccup?" Dagur snickers, reveling in the horrified look on his to-be victim's face. "Come now, no need to be afraid..." He can hardly contain the sadistic smile when he says, "I'm not gonna hurt you."

In Hiccup's defense, he does seem to sober up a little bit. He swallows and levels his gaze with Dagur's, determined not to let him see just how petrified he is. "Wh-what do you want, Dagur?!" He demands, slowly edging a bit closer to Toothless. Maybe if he can free him-

_SLICE!_

Hiccup yelps in pain as the knife cuts across his forearm, immediately spilling blood onto the grass. He grasps his arm, biting back a scream of agony when he touches the wound. Blood is already gushing between his fingers.

Dagur clicks his tongue and flips another throwing knife into the air, catching it with two fingers. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...why do you have to make everything so hard? I wasn't planning on hurting you..."

Hiccup forces a stiff laugh. "Or really? And here I thought you were out to get me." There's far less acidity in his voice than he would have liked. He just sounds scared when he wanted to sound bitter and angry. "Why do you even bother playing this game? Why not just kill me and get it over with?!" He's actually genuinely curious at this point. What is going through Dagur's head that makes him want to pull these sick tricks?

Dagur's smile melts, replaced by a fierce glint in his cold, green eyes. "Please, don't tempt me." He growls. "And it _is_ tempting...I would love nothing more than to end your life right here and now."

Hiccup shrinks back, hearing that.

Dagur's smirk returns and he motions for his men to stay where they are as their leader casually strolls over to Hiccup, closing the comforting distance between them in seconds.

Hiccup whimpers quietly and steals a look at Toothless. He needs to free him. If Hiccup has to die...at least Toothless should be able to escape. Especially with his new tail, he doesn't need him anymore.

Toothless sees the desperation in his Riders eyes and mistakes it as a plead for help. He suddenly begins thrashing around, struggling his binds. He broken similar muzzles and bolas before. He can do it again!

"Men, secure the Night Fury!" Dagur shouts, jabbing a finger at the struggling dragon. "Make sure it doesn't escape!"

"No! Don't touch Toothle-" Hiccup is cut off when Dagur suddenly slams his fist into the boy's stomach. Immediately, he feels his wound tearing open and, this time, there's no suppressing his scream.

Toothless's eyes widen and his struggles increase. His whole body flops back and forth as he fights to free himself. The Berserkers close in, preparing to tighten his binds. However, Toothless uses his tail to swat them all away.

Dagur sighs in irritation at his men's incompetence. "Handle the beast!" He barks as he draws his arm away from Hiccup, allowing the boy to sink to his knees. But, of course, Dagur isn't quite done with him. He coils back his foot and kicks Hiccup square in the chest, knocking him to his side.

As Hiccup flops onto his back, all the breath is evacuated from his lungs. He gasps for air but it's been knocked out of him by Dagur's kick. He tries to sit up again but only ends up moaning in pain at his shredded wound.

"Come on! Is that all you've got, Hiccup?" Dagur sighs and shrugs. "I don't know why I expected this to be more fun. Oh well." He steps over Hiccup, placing one foot on each side of him. Then, kneeling down overtop of the teen, he pulls out a small knife.

Hiccup stiffens at the sight of it, unable to stop himself from remembering how it felt to be stabbed... A cold feeling creeps through his veins. _Oh gods..._

Dagur smiles at him, lowering the knife so that its razor-sharp point is whispering across Hiccup's cheek, just below his right eye. "I won't lose to you..." He hisses. "Not Stoick's little embarrassment..."

_What is THAT supposed to mean...? _Hiccup wonders weakly. He glances sideways. _Have the Berserkers caught Toothless...? _No. The Night Fury is still struggling, his frantic eyes locked on Hiccup. There's a desperate plea in the dragon's eyes. He's silently begging Hiccup to stay alive until he escapes. _Sorry, bud..._ Hiccup says in his mind, secure in the knowledge his dragon will understand what he's thinking. _There isn't much I can do..._

And Toothless does see it in his friend's eyes. He can't fight anymore. His arm and stomach are bleeding at a dangerous rate. At this rate, he might die before Dagur even has the chance to finish him off.

"But don't worry, Hiccup." Dagur continues in a syrupy sweet voice. "I'll make sure your dragon is put out of his misery this time around...I won't make the same mistake again."

_Put out of his misery..._ Hiccup turns back to Dagur. And scowls. He glares at his worst nightmare, anger suddenly bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. _He's going to kill Toothless...probably Astrid and Stormfly too..._ Biting his lip, he makes his resolve. _Unless I do something._

Dagur smiles at the fury in the boy's eyes. It's a good look for him, he muses. Then, applying a bit of pressure to the knife on Hiccup's cheek, he enjoys the sight of a bit of red welling up and eventually spilling over. However, he's taken slightly aback when Hiccup doesn't whimper pathetically or even flinch. _What's this about? _

Suddenly, he feels Hiccup tense up below him. The teen draws up his legs and, rocking back onto his shoulders, kicks Dagur square in the chest!

It doesn't hurt much but Dagur is shocked enough to actually lose his balance. Did Hiccup just...fight back? When he regains his composure, he sees that Hiccup is back on his feet and sprinting toward his dragon.

"STOP HIM!" Dagur shouts, furiously.

One of the Berserkers, who had been laying on the ground after being smacked by Toothless's tail, grabs Hiccup's ankle and tugs it out from under him. The teen goes crashing back to the forest floor, landing right on his torn stomach. He sees stars for a moment, the amount of pain nearly paralyzing him.

In that time, Dagur scrambles back over to Hiccup and flips him onto his back. Gripping the boy's wrists over his head in one hand, he pulls out his knife again with the other hand.

There's a swimmy look in Hiccup's eyes, as if he might pass out from blood loss and pain. So Dagur waits, wanting to make sure his prey is awake before ending it. And, surely enough, Hiccup's gaze comes back into focus.

"That was a valiant effort, runt." Dagur growls. "But, obviously, it wasn't enough." He leans in close, smiling once again when he hisses, "I'm gonna kill you, Hiccup. And then I'm going to kill your dragon...and then your little girlfriend...and then her dragon." He cocks his head to the side. "How does _that_ sound?"

Hiccup's eyes harden again. Dagur can see the wheels turning as he tries to figure out how to escape again, or maybe just some witty comeback. But, instead of either, Hiccup...smiles. It's a dark smile, one that doesn't look natural on Hiccup's innocent face.

Dagur cries out in fury as Hiccup spits in his face. "LITTLE BRAT!" He screams, wiping the spit from his eyes. "MEN! GRAB HIM!"

The other Berserkers reach down and grab Hiccup's arms, hauling him to his feet. Then, with one well-placed kick to the back of the leg, Hiccup collapses to his knees. One man grabs his hair, pulling until his head is tipped back and his neck is exposed...

Dagur jumps his feet and yanks out his machete. "Say goodnight, Hiccup." He purrs, glaring at the boy. "You're dead."

* * *

_**A/N: Ohh the cliffhangers again! Sorry, guys. XD**_


	13. Chasing Lightning

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**A/N: Still not the climax... XD**_

_**Also, a conversation I was having with **__Avatar Emerald_ _**got me thinking...and so here it is: the unofficial soundtrack to this entire series XDDD It's basically just made of songs that I was listening to while writing this fanfic (and all the others in the series) that reminded me of what I was writing. In no particular order. **_

_**1. Last Resort by Papa Roach**_

_**2. Down with the Sickness by Disturbed**_

_**3. Monster by Skillet**_

_**4. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor by Drowning Pool**_

_**5. Scream by Avenged Sevenfold**_

_**6. Haunted by Evanescence**_

* * *

Hiccup glares at Dagur, fighting the urge to cry out in pain as one of the Berserkers yanks him by the hair until his head is tipped back. Kneeling in this position makes him feel exposed, defenseless. His arms are being held, his neck is out. If Dagur wanted to, he could slit his throat with no trouble...

And by the look on Dagur's face...he _does_ want to.

Hiccup swallows, fear setting in again. He switches his gaze to Toothless once more. The Night Fury is fighting his binds so hard the ropes are beginning to stretch. There's a small creak as the muzzle begins to crack. _Come on, Toothless! You can do it! Hurry up and get out of here before they kill you!_

Dagur swings back his arm, preparing to slit the boy's throat. "Say goodnight, Hiccup. You're dead."

Hiccup flinches, bracing for the pain that's sure to come. He squeezes his eyes shut and bites his lip so he won't scream. He refuses to give Dagur the pleasure...

_SLICE!_

_ SLAM!_

Hiccup gasps as he's suddenly knocked to the ground. He opens his eyes again to find the Berserker that were holding him thrown to the side. Dagur is laying on his back, a huge blue spike stuck into the dirt beside him.

"Stormfly...?" Hiccup rolls over to face the Nadderhead, a knowing smile on his face. Her tail is free, the bola that was holding it laying torn on the floor. Her spikes sticking straight out. _She tore through the ropes with her spikes!_ He tries to sit up but fails, clutching his stomach which is stained dark red. His arm is dripping crimson. "Stormfly, can you help Toothless?"

The Nadderhead warbles and launches a spine toward the Night Fury, slicing through the ropes with expert accuracy. Toothless roars, furiously as he leaps away from his bindings. His wings extend to their full length, a deep purple light glowing in his mouth. He rears back his head and prepares to fire at Dagur, craving the evil man's death.

And, for once, Hiccup is inclined to just let him end it. _If he dies now, he'll be out of my life forever..._ But even now, Hiccup's good side seems to get in the way of clear logic. "No, Toothless." He says as he props himself on his good elbow. "Don't kill him."

Dagur stares at Hiccup in shock. Why spare him?

Toothless growls at his Rider as if to say 'don't be stupid' or 'he tried to kill you. AGAIN.'

Hiccup only shakes his head.

Furiously, Toothless snarls and lets out a frustrated roar. He spins around and smacks the back of Dagur's head with the metal casing of his tail fin, effectively knocking him unconscious. Then, he turns on Dagur's men. Stomping his feet in the dirt, he practically dares them to attack...

Of course, they all drop their weapons and back off.

Hiccup nods and struggles to his feet. "Thanks, bud."

The dragon snorts and waddles over, sniffing Hiccup's wounds before glaring into his eyes. He's badly hurt and needs medical attention. Now.

"I know..." Hiccup mutters as he turns to Stormfly. "But we've got to free her and wake Astrid first..." Hiccup takes one step and his legs fail. His knees buckle and drops to the ground, gasping as the world narrows and his vision goes into a tunnel, blurring and twisting out of proportion. His arms are shaking with the effort of holding himself up. He takes a steadying breath, hoping that's enough to clear his dizziness.

Toothless watches with a tight expression as his Rider crawls back to his feet, wobbling dangerously. Hiccup remains standing for a few seconds...before his eyes roll back in his head and he crumples to the ground.

* * *

"Hey! There you go! That's how it's done!" Fishlegs cheers as Merek and Ambereyes land back in the arena. The dragon's massive wings flap a few times more to help her regain her balance before she folds them back against her body and bows her head, allowing Merek to slide off.

"Thank you." He says to the kids. "I never would have imagined this was even possible..." He turns and smiles at Ambereyes, stroking the dragon's scaly head. "But it's amazing."

The Riders smile at him, happy that he's adjusting so quickly and that Ambereyes is cooperating. At the other side of the arena, Snotlout struggles to keep Scorch contained. The tiny Needlemouth wiggles, cooing at his mother. Eventually, he kicks out with his oddly powerful legs, slamming into Snotlout's gut. The viking releases him and doubles over, silently cursing the creature.

Scorch squeals in delight as he races over to Merek and Ambereyes, wiggling his tail and wings as he bounces around them. Cedany's leader can't help but laugh as the dragon purrs up against his leg, obviously having taken a liking to the man.

"Aww, looks like Scorch as a new favorite!" Fishlegs says.

"Yeah, I'll bet Hiccup is gonna be jealous!" Ruff jokes.

"Speaking of Hiccup..." Merek mutters. "Haven't they been gone a while? I would have thought he and Astrid would be back by now..."

"Maybe they were attacked!" Tuff offers, obviously excited by the idea.

"Man! All the cool stuff happens to them..." Ruff grumbles as she folds her arms.

"Nuh-uh! Remember that time we got chased by a pack of angry yaks?!"

"Oh yeah! That was awesome! And that time you got bitten by that poisonous spider!"

"Haha, it was the size of my head!"

Merek grimaces at them before leaning over to Fishlegs and whispering, "Are they always like this...?"

"Yeah, pretty much." The teen responds. "We've learned not to question it."

Just then, a shadow passes over the academy. Everyone looks up to see Stormfly and Toothless passing overhead.

"Oh, they're back." Fishlegs smiles in relief.

"Good, I was beginning to get worried." Merek says, waving at the dragons. "I wonder what took them so long?"

* * *

_"Hiccup...Hiccup wake up..."_

"Ughh..." He squeezes his eyes shut, not wanting to get up yet. Lulling his head to the side, he is suddenly very aware of the voice that's talking to him. It's only then that he realizes he must have passed out for a while there. Astrid sounds kind of worked up.

_"Hiccup, come on. I know you can hear me."_

"Five more minutes..." He mumbles, searching for the sleep that had cradled him a moment ago. Unfortunately, it's gone. And he's conscious again.

_"No. Now. You need to get up now."_

"Nnnnn..." He groans, shaking his head to clear it. Her voice sounds like an echo and it's bothering him. Not to mention the dizziness he can feel even without his eyes open. "Fine...I'm up."

_"Open your eyes, then."_

He sighs. Why does she have to be so pushy? However, as soon as he tries to open his eyes, he figures out why she seemed so anxious a moment ago. It takes an enormous amount of effort to pry them open and, as soon as a little bit of light trickles in, he gasps in pain and flinches away from it. Too bright. WAY too bright.

_"It's okay." _She tells him. _"We're safe now. Open your eyes..."_

Safe? This has nothing to do with being safe or not. The light is just too bright and it hurts his head. In a feeble attempt to block out the sun's murderous rays, he tries to lift his arm. His whole body jolts in shock as the pain shoots through him. Oh, Thor! That really hurt!

_Hiccup...?_ Her voice sounds like it's coming from the end of a long tunnel. It swims through his head, making it very difficult for him to understand what she's saying. _Hiccup...can you hear me?_

Yes, but just barely.

_C-come on...hey...hey! Snap out of it!_

Oh, for Odin's sake... Hiccup opens his eyes again. This time, the light doesn't hurt so much. He wakes up purely to get Astrid to stop calling out to him in her odd, echoing voice. However, as soon as his vision clears enough for him to figure out where he is, he's glad he did wake up.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs gasps, in a voice that is suddenly in-focus once again.

Through slightly fuzzy vision, Hiccup makes out the forms of the other Riders, as well as Merek and the dragons in the background.

"Where are we...?" He wonders, glancing around the unfamiliar room.

Astrid smiles at him, brushing a lock of hair from his eyes. "This is Cedany's apothecary." She tells him, clearly relieved to see him fully awake.

"How long was I out?" Hiccup mutters, blinking to clear his vision the rest of the way.

"Only a few minutes." Merek answers. "Just long enough for our healer to stitch your arm and wrap your stomach. We also gave you some pain medicine that should kick in within the next hour."

Hiccup glances down at his arm. Surely enough, there's a bandage wrapped around it and he can feel the tenseness of stitches when he moves it a little. His stomach, too, has been cleaned and bandaged. "Thank you." He says, flashing a weak smile at Merek and his friends.

It's only then that he remembers. "What happened to Dagur?"

Merek's expression darkens. "My men are preparing to go after him. There's no way I'm letting that madman off the hook after what he did."

Hiccup flinches as he props himself onto his elbows. "But wouldn't that just cause trouble for Cedany...? It might start a war..."

"No." Merek folds his arms. "If we capture their chief, the Berserkers will surrender. They'll have no one to lead them and thus no choice. Men from my village _and_ Berk will go to their island and occupy it to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

Hiccup exchanges looks with his friends. "Are you sure that will work...?"

"One hundred percent." He replies, firmly. "Now, let's get you moved back to your room so you can rest-"

"No." Hiccup pushes himself to his feet, testing his wobbly legs before standing up fully. "I'm okay. I...want to go with you."

"What?!" Astrid gasps, staring at him as if he's lost his mind. "Hiccup, no. If Dagur gets ahold of you again, he'll-"

"I'll be okay, Astrid." He assures her. "I _need_ to do this."

_After all, I won't be able to rest until I'm sure Dagur is taken care of..._


	14. On the Hunt

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**A/N: Aaaannddd...here we are! XD FINALLY we're at the climax (this chapter is the beginning of it and the next chapter will be the *real* climax)! This fanfic ended up being much longer than I originally anticipated it to be...but whatever! So far, it's been a really good experience for me. I like writing it! And I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as your reviews make it sound like you are! **_

_**Also...**_

_**Dagur is one SICK puppy... that's all I'm saying. (I'm not usually this dark and twisted, I promise! XD It's just that Dagur brings out the worst in me! LOL)**_

* * *

Darkness has fallen over the mainlands. A sharp, full moon glitters in the midnight sky as Merek and the Riders, along with a handful of mainland soldiers, dash through the forest, trying to pick up Dagur's trail. A few times, they manage to spot some of his footprints, although it's obvious he's trying not to leave any. And, so far, he's doing a pretty excellent job of it.

"I found some! Over here!" Astrid hisses to the rest of the group. "See? There's some scuffs in the mud and a broken twig there."

"Good job, Astrid." Merek says. "The marks are pointing this way." He nods his head in the direction of the footprint and starts to follow them.

"I found something!" Fishlegs calls, a little too loudly.

"Stay quiet!" Hiccup reminds him, firmly. "We don't want him to expect us."

"Hiccup is right." Merek tells him. "We have no idea how many Berserkers could be with him. He might even have a whole army, for all we know."

Fishlegs gulps at the thought. "B-but we have our dragons..." He points out, waving a shaking hand to Meatlug, who is currently chewing on a mouthful of pebbles.

"We still need the element of surprise." Hiccup assures him. "Dagur's resourceful...if he feels cornered...well, we'd have better luck dealing with an angry Monstrous Nightmare."

"Yeah, at least we know how to train those." Tuff adds with a devious smirk.

"Heeey! Maybe Hiccup could figure out how to train humans next!" His sister laughs, punching Tuff in the shoulder. "We could teach Dagur to sit."

Hiccup sighs and rolls his eyes. "Guys. This is serious." Toothless growls, as if backing him up. The Night Fury tilts his head back and sniffs the air, trying to pick up his enemy's scent. It's faint. Either Dagur came through here a long time ago, or he came through very fast. Both would cause his scent trail to be light.

Either way, he can probably still follow it. Then again, the last thing he wants is to be in the lead when they find Dagur. What with injured-Hiccup on his back... Of course, he'd probably just shoot Dagur with a plasma blast as soon as he sees him, anyway. But Hiccup stopped him last time. And, for the life of him, Toothless can't figure out why.

He sometimes thinks his little Rider is too kind-hearted for his own good. With an annoyed snort, he remembers how badly he'd wanted to kill Hiccup when he freed him in the woods, all those months ago. The only reason he didn't was because the tiny human had spared his life, for some unknown reason. It would have made him feel bad if he were to roast the pathetic creature after it took mercy on him... He could never have imagined that same stupidly-merciful, tiny little viking child would someday become his best friend.

Someone he would die to protect, without thinking twice about it.

"Hey! Look here!" Astrid calls again, interrupting Toothless's thoughts. She is crouched beside the twisted mess of leaves and snapped twigs. "He came through here. The trail goes that way." She points deeper into the woods, a determined scowl on her face. She jumps to her feet and takes off, everyone else following suit.

Toothless can feel Hiccup's exhaustion as he clings to the saddle with trembling hands. Suddenly, the dragon is glad that his friends insisted that Hiccup be carried. He's pretty sure the boy would have keeled over by now if he'd been forced to run this whole way. Toothless turns his head to look at him and coos.

Hiccup smiles at him. The look on his face is stronger than what his dragon would have imagined. Although a good bit of fear shines through his forest green eyes. After all he's been through, it's no wonder he's petrified of the man...

"We're getting close." Merek announces.

"How can you tell?" Fishlegs asks him.

Cedany's chief reaches over to pat Ambereye's head. "She's getting worked up. I think she can smell him."

"Toothless can too." Hiccup confirms, noticing the way his dragon's eyes shift back and forth and his wings twitch, as if ready to take off at a moment's notice. "Dagur must be nearby."

"Hiccup," Astrid whispers. She hurries over, Stormfly in tow. There's a deeply concerned knot in brow. "I understand that you want peace of mind and all...but are you sure it's a good idea for you to be here...? I mean, what if Dagur is expecting us? He might not play games this time..."

"I know, Astrid." Hiccup mumbles, avoiding her searching gaze. "But I can't go on hiding forever...especially if it means sending my friends out to fight my battles for me." His expression darkens. "I won't put you guys in danger just for my sake."

She suddenly grabs his arm. "_That's _why you're here?" She hisses. "To protect _us_?"

He nods.

"Hiccup, Dagur wants to _kill you_." She growls, tugging his good arm so hard it forces Toothless to stop following the others. She releases her grip on him and takes a small step back, keeping her eyes locked on his. "Forget about keeping us safe for five minutes and worry about _yourself_ for once."

She expects him to argue with her. To say something along the lines of: 'you guys shouldn't have to protect me' or 'I just don't want anything to happen to you'. What she doesn't expect, however, is exactly what he gives her.

Hiccup simply smiles. "You worry enough for both of us." He points out. "And coupled with Toothless, well...I think I'm covered in that department."

She frowns. He isn't taking this seriously...which is odd. Because only a few days ago, he was literally cowering in the corner at the mere _thought _of Dagur. Now, after having been nearly murdered AGAIN, he's ready to go track him down? She suddenly decides to stop trying to understand the way his brain works. It's really starting to confuse her. But still, she has to at least ask. "What are you thinking?" She wonders, gazing into his deep, intelligent eyes. For the first time in weeks, she sees no trace of fear in them.

He grins in a way that sends her stomach fluttering. "I'm thinking...that I'm not willing to lose anyone I care about. All I want is to keep you guys safe." The warmth in his eyes suddenly freezes over-changing their emerald green color to an icy shade of viridian-when he says, "No matter the cost."

* * *

The seven of them, plus their dragons, gradually close in on Dagur's location. Evidently, after being wacked by Toothless's tail and knocked out, his men carried him to their encampment on the edge of the forest, near the hilly shoreline. Now, Dagur has woken up and is treating his head wound. It stings and he's sure he must have a concussion. But none of that matters to him. So long as that brat and his devil-dragon die, he couldn't care less if he loses a limb in the process. It would be well-worth it to see Hiccup writhing in pain, screaming for mercy...

He no longer plans on simply killing him.

No.

That would be too easy for the runt. Dagur wants him to suffer. To enjoy every last second of Hiccup's pleads and cries for help. Maybe he'll even kill the dragon first, just to see the destroyed look on the brat's face... He'll keep him alive for as long as possible. Then, once Hiccup's body finally gives out, he'll ship his corpse back to Berk, string him up in the town square and laugh when Stoick comes outside to see his precious boy's cold, dead remains dangling from a rope...

Ohhh-ho-ho! Just the idea of it sends chills of pleasure down his spine.

And then there's the girl...Astrid, was it? The one who hit him with a bottle of wine and gave him a scar. She's pretty tough but seems to have a weak spot for Hiccup... He's curious to see how much it would take to break her. Maybe when he captures Hiccup, he'll take her too...keep them in the same cell. He has to wonder how loud she would scream for him to stop if she was forced to watch Hiccup slowly dying in front of her...?

"He's nearby!" Someone says from within the woods.

Dagur smirks. _Well, speak of the devil..._ Standing up, he motions for his men to get ready. "Grab your weapons, men...we've got a runt to capture."

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sorry...cliffhangers. Cliffhangers everywhere.**_


	15. Show Time

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**A/N: We're almost done. Just a few more chapters... And here's the climax, by the way. XD (This and the next one, probably)**_

_**Also, to **__Fareway19_, _**I promised tying, didn't I...? XD**_

_**And this chapter wasn't in the original outline...just another reason to say that sometimes, outlines lie. I REALLY enjoyed writing this chapter. (Even though it is, arguably, the sickest thing I've ever written...)**_

* * *

As they step into the small clearing on the edge of the cliff, Hiccup and the other Riders immediately notice that something is off... There are too many scuff marks in the dirt, smoke is still coiling out of a fire pit at the brink of the forest. Someone was here. And, by the looks of things, they haven't been gone for long.

"Keep your guard up." Merek reminds them in a hushed voice. "They're around here somewhere..."

Suddenly, and without warning, an arrow screams through the air. It whizzes past Merek's face, skimming his cheek. He freezes in shock at its sudden appearance. "He's here!" He shouts, grabbing his sword and scanning the shadows for the arrow's sender. But then...he hears something else.

The sound of boots smacking over the dirt...and a cry of pain. He spins around and stares in horror at the group of Berserkers who seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Twenty of them, at least.

Hiccup has been torn from Toothless's saddle and dragged a few feet away. The injured boy squirms desperately against his captor but is unable to break free. He grunts as he kicks his legs, making it extremely hard for the man to keep ahold of him.

Astrid and the others, too, has been grabbed from behind. She elbows her attacker in the ribs but that doesn't deter him from throwing her to the ground and grabbing her arms as if to tie them up.

The dragons make a move to attack but are stopped when Berserkers begin firing warning arrows from the trees. "Kids, you'd better tell your dragons to back off before they get shot..." Dagur purrs.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouts, fearfully. "Stay back, bud! Don't get hit!"

"Dagur! Call off your men, now!" Merek barks.

But the Berserker chief only smirks. "Why should I do that? Especially after how hard I worked to lure Hiccup here." His smile broadens and he folds his arms behind his back, observing with mild interest as more of his soldiers grab the other Riders and work to keep their furious dragons at bay. "But there's been a change of plans, Hiccup." He announces, casually.

Hiccup stops thrashing, figuring he's just wasting his energy at this point. "Yeah?" He asks, bitterly. "And what's that?"

Dagur chuckles, eyeing the boy almost possessively. "You and I are going to put on a little show..." He nods to the man who is holding Hiccup. "Tie him up."

Hiccup fights again, not liking the sound of this at all. He suddenly sees an opportunity and takes it. His attacker's hand is placed, carelessly, on Hiccup's shoulder. Twisting his head around, Hiccup sinks his teeth into the man's hand. The Berserker cries out in shock and pain as he tries to wrench his hand away. But Hiccup doesn't let go until he is free of the man's grip, spitting the nasty, metallic flavor of blood from his mouth.

He stumbles a few inches away before he is grabbed again. This time, his captor is far less gentle. He grabs Hiccup by the wrist and flings him to the ground, kicking him square in the shoulder, effectively flipping him over. Then, kneeling next to him with one knee grinding into Hiccup's spine, he binds the boy's wrists together and hauls him to his feet.

Dagur nods, satisfied. His evil eyes scan the area, taking in the sight of his plan having worked perfectly. All of the Riders and Merek's men are tied up, unable to move in the least. Their dragons watch, helplessly, as their Riders are lined up along with Merek and his men. Come to find out, there are a lot more Berserkers than they had originally thought... At least thirty.

Hiccup pants as he is dragged over to Dagur. There's a tired, pained look in his eyes from fighting his captors every step of the way, jamming the nails of his prosthetic into their feet at least three times. Once he's beside Dagur though, the Berserkers force him to his knees so that he's kneeling in front of their chief.

"What is this about, Dagur?" He hisses, quiet enough that the others can't hear him. "Why don't you just kill me already and let the others go?"

"Let them go?" Dagur laughs. "No. I don't think so."

Hiccup's eyes widen, a shiver running down his spine. What does he mean he won't let them go? Does he intend to kill _all_ of them?! Something about the insane look in his eyes makes Hiccup think that's _exactly_ what he's planning on doing... But first, their 'show'. Whatever that means.

Dagur grins, as if reading his mind. Then, lifting his eyes up to his captive audience, he shouts, "Ladies and gentlemen! I, Dagur the _Deranged_, present to you..." He giggles, sadistically. "The _death_ of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the Hope and Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe and _would-be_ Future Chief of Berk!"

"Hiccup...!" Astrid gasps in horror. _Oh gods, no! _

Toothless roars, furiously.

Dagur smiles down at Hiccup, who is still kneeling in front of him and unable to move. "Enjoy the show..." He hisses to no one in particular as he slowly, lovingly draws his machete. It's still stained with Hiccup's blood...

Hiccup swallows hard, his heart cranking into over drive.

In one, swift motion, Dagur sinks his blade into Hiccup's shoulder. The teen shrieks in pain and doubles over. Dagur smiles wickedly at the sound and yanks his knife free, marveling at the amount of blood that spills out.

Toothless's eyes grow wide and he, too, shrieks.

"Stay back, Night Fury!" A Berserker yells as he lets another arrow fly, sinking it into the ground at Toothless's feet.

But, suddenly, Toothless doesn't care if he gets shot. He _has_ to save Hiccup. NOW! He fans open his wings and rears back his head, letting loose a terrifying roar of pure hatred.

And this time, he's out for blood.

Hiccup gasps, squeezing his eyes shut against the agony in his shoulder. He finds himself groaning and wobbling dangerously. _No...! Don't pass out...! You've gotta fight...! _He tells himself. _But how am I supposed to do that with my arms tied?_ His head is spinning now, his vision is dark. It hurts...

Dagur laughs hysterically and coils his arm again, preparing to stab Hiccup again. He wonders how many times will it take for him to pass out? Or maybe the blood loss will knock him out first? He can't wait to find out.

"HICCUP!" Astrid screams, raw terror in her voice. Tears rolls down her cheeks as she watches him being tortured.

Dagur stops. He glances up at her and smiles. Now _that's_ what he wants to see. _Come on, little girl...cry some more! _He sinks the knife into Hiccup's shoulder again, a little away from the first wound.

Hiccup screams again, causing Toothless to go mad with fury. Without warning, the dragon shoots into the air, making use of his new tail. He flies up and up and up until he reaches the clouds. Then, diving downward, he tucks his wings in against his body. An eerie shriek fills the air as he falls straight down, a purple light flood his mouth.

Arrows wizz past him, all of them missing his body which is propelled at bullet speed.

Today is the day, Toothless decides. The day that Dagur the Deranged dies! He opens his mouth, the tell-tale scream of a Night Fury blasting from his throat as he fires a single, flaming plasma blast.

As sure as Toothless is a Night Fury, the attack hits its mark.

Dagur yelps as the purple ball of fire slams into his chest, throwing him off his feet. He sails through the air for a good yard, then slams onto the rocky ground, landing hard.

Astrid watches in amazement. Is he...dead?

Hiccup glances up from the tops of his half-lidded eyes. Half of him truly, honestly hopes that Dagur is dead. The other half...really is too kind for his own good. He swallows the coppery taste in his mouth and waits for something to happen.

The Berserkers who are holding him exchange shocked looks. They release him and hurry over to their chief, who still isn't moving.

Hiccup immediately collapses to the ground as soon as they let go, a weak moan escaping his lips as he falls into a puddle of his own blood. In front of him, the world twists and darkens. He can feel the life ebbing out of him.

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouts, desperately. "NO! STAY AWAKE!"

_I'm trying... _He silently assures her. Then, shifting, he manages to flop over onto his back, where he sees Toothless quickly flapping down to meet him.

"Dagur! Sir!" One of the Berserkers calls out as they shake their leader's shoulder. Dagur's chest piece is smoking, bits of fire still dancing on the leather parts. He is motionless for a long moment...

Then...

"Ughh..." Dagur's eyes flutter open.

Astrid bites her lip, cursing silently. Why can't he just die?!

The madman stumbles to his feet and whips around, glaring hatefully at Toothless. "You beast...!" He snarls. "I'll enjoy skinning you!" Then, staggering dizzily, he growls, "Fine! You don't want games? We won't play anymore games...!" Dagur jabs a finger at the teens in front of him. "ARCHERS! We're done here...KILL EVERYONE!"

And the archers draw back their shots, preparing to fire.

* * *

_**A/N: THE ULTIMATE CLIFFHANGER!**_


	16. Selfless

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**A/N: This chapter is...kind of deep. At least I think it is. And kind of sad as well... (I actually got pretty upset because of my OWN story. GOSH! I'm such a wuss... LOL)**_

_**Second to last chapter, everyone. Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and follows! I really appreciate it!**_

* * *

"KILL EVERYBODY!" Dagur shouts, jabbing a finger at the people before him. Everyone stiffens, bracing themselves to be shot at. The archers switch their aim from the dragons to the people and draw back their arrows, preparing to do their chief's bidding...

But the dragons act quickly. As soon as they are no longer in danger of being shot, they pounce. Stormfly swings her tail around, smacking a few Berserkers out of the trees. Meatlug and Hookfang cover their Riders as arrows begin to fly. Barf and Belch immediately go to freeing the humans, snapping the ropes with a single bite of each head. Within seconds, the mainlanders and the Riders are free once again.

Astrid instantly swings around to look for Hiccup, sending a quick prayer to every god or goddess she can think of to keep him safe.

And, under normal circumstances, Hiccup would have been shot immediately. Luckily for him, however, Toothless was still by his side when the order was given. The Night Fury fans open his wings to shield his Rider's body from the little arrows that sting a bit as they bounce off his scales. A few draw blood but not enough to do any serious damage.

Once the storm of projectiles has stopped, Toothless removes his wings to check on Hiccup. He grimaces and lets out a small whimper. Hiccup is still laying on his stomach, his head tipped to the side. Blood oozes out of the two, deep gashes in his right shoulder. At least it isn't the left one. That means Dagur didn't pierce his heart...but the same can't be said in total confidence for the boy's lungs. Who knows if they were destroyed...?

Toothless coos at him, nudging his Rider's good shoulder. For a moment, he thinks Hiccup is unconscious because he doesn't move. But then, the boy groans and his eyes flutter open.

"Toothless..." He mumbles, cracking a weak smile. "Are you alright, bud...?"

Toothless purrs, happy to see him awake. He leans down and gently bites the back of Hiccup's tunic, tugging a little. He needs to get up, to get _out of here_ before something else happens!

Hiccup moans and pushes himself to his knees, cradling his right arm. He wavers for a moment but remains balanced, thanks to Toothless's grip on him. "Thanks..." He says, breathlessly.

"Hiccup!" It's Astrid's voice.

He turns a little, relieved to see her untied and unharmed. Stormfly is now shadowing her Rider, working to throw more Berserkers out of the trees as she goes.

Astrid skids to a stop a few inches from Hiccup before dropping to her knees and hugging him, tightly. "Thank GODS you're okay." She whispers against his neck. She backs off and nods, tightly at Toothless. "Well done, boy."

Toothless drones in satisfaction. Then, as if only just remembering, he whips around to growl at Dagur. He ought to shoot him again, finish him off.

But then...Hiccup places a cold, shaking hand on the dragon's side. He gazes at Dagur with weak, bitter, hate-filled eyes and, for the shortest moment, Toothless begins to think that his Rider is going to order this man's death.

But Hiccup really is too kind-hearted for his own good.

"Don't...do it, buddy..." He rasps. "Don't...kill him..."

Astrid bites her lip, for once wishing Hiccup was a little less selfless. Why can't he just be selfish? Just this once... She places a hand on his back and moves closer, almost wrapping her body around his. He needs as much protection as he can get right now.

Dagur glares at them. They clearly see the wheels turning in his deranged mind, trying to think of a new plan. But his men are all unconscious or pinned by spears. He's badly outnumbered. And Hiccup is still very much alive.

In other words, he lost.

Merek climbs to his feet after Barf and Belch bite through the ropes around his wrists. "Give up, Dagur." He sneers. "You've lost. Come quietly."

Hiccup flinches as he sits up, Astrid helping him to stay upright. "He's right..." He wheezes, clutching his shoulder. "You won't get hurt if you just cooperate..."

"Cooperate...?" Dagur snorts as if something has stuck him funny.

"Come on, Dagur!" Snotlout tries. "You're cornered. There's nothing else you can do." He points to the edge of the cliff, which Dagur is practically hovering around. If he takes a single step backwards, he'll plummet to his death.

Dagur eyes the cliff, a tense look on his face, before looking back at Hiccup. The wounded boy is leaning on Toothless now, blood rolling down his limp arm and puddling beneath him.

But he's still breathing. Hiccup is alive.

A small, defeated sigh escapes from Dagur. "You know, Hiccup..." He begins, a distant look in his eyes. "I always thought you were sort of a coward. Nothing more than an embarrassment."

Hiccup tilts his head, listening.

"But here you are...still standing after being stabbed in the gut, twice in the shoulder and strangled..." He smirks. "You're definitely tougher than you look."

Hiccup blinks in shock. Did Dagur just...compliment him?

"But just because you're hard to kill doesn't mean you're strong." He hisses. "Really, you're nothing but a scared little weakling. Too gentle to kill me, even after I tried to murder you over and over... The world of vikings has no room for kindness and mercy, Hiccup. You'll learn that someday." He takes a small move back. "I sure did..." A distant look crosses his face again, as if his thoughts are millions of miles away. "This world beat any humanity out of me by the time I was your age." He continues in a low voice. "I don't know if you're just thick headed or have a learning disorder...but someday, this world will change you too." He takes another tiny step.

Hiccup notices this time, his eyes going wide. "Dagur...no...don't-"

"If you're really going to be chief someday, take this advice to heart." He flashes a sadistic smile when he says, "Learn to enjoy the thrill of killing...you're going to have to do a lot of it to survive in this world..." With that, Dagur sighs as if in relief and glances backwards over the lip of the steep escarpment. _I won't lose to you, Hiccup. Not Stoick's little runt..._ He takes one, final step back...

And disappears over the edge.

"DAGUR!" Hiccup shouts, horror flooding through him.

Astrid gasps, clamping her hand over her mouth.

Merek closes his eyes and bows his head.

Did Dagur just...kill himself?

They all wait, in vain, for some miracle to happen. For some other ingenious plan to unfold in front of their eyes...for Dagur to survive.

But nothing happens.

Dagur doesn't reappear.

He's dead...

* * *

_**A/N: R.I.P. Dagur, you crazy-awesome villain... (Only one chapter to go...) Sorry if that peeved anyone off. I have my reasons.**_


	17. Epilogue

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**A/N: Here we are guys. Final chapter! I hope you enojyed this series because I know I certainly did! It's been a great experience for me and I really appreciate all those reviews, fallows and favorites! You guys are AMAZING! **_

_**Make sure to keep an eye out for my new fanfic called 'Bewitched'. I'm super excited for this one. You can read the long summary on my profile, if you're interested. **_

_**Thanks again! Love you guys! **_

_**(WARNING: mild angst and major mushiness ahead. You have been warned.)**_

* * *

A soft wind whispers over the island of Berk. It's early morning and the sun is just barely beginning its ascention into the pink and yellow sky. A few sea birds drift lazily through the clouds, squawking at each other and flapping their little, feathered wings. A heavy shadow suddenly passes over them and they scatter, frightened by the presence of the enourmous predator.

The Night Fury slowly banks to the side, aiming for a sea stack that is currently unoccupied. He can feel his Rider gently nudge on the foot pedal, helping to direct the dragon.

Toothless coos at him, worried because his Rider hasn't said a word since they left the mainlands. He feels Hiccup pat his side but it's a hallow action. There's no real meaning behind it. The boy simply touches the foot pedal again and Toothless obeys, landing on the peak of the sea stack.

They really shouldn't be out here. Not with Hiccup's condition being so serious... But Toothless sort of understands his Rider's desperation to get away for a while. Hiccup can't handle being doted on anymore.

'The boy who brought down Dagur the Deranged!'

That's what they're calling him... Like it's a compliment. Hiccup is a hero all over again. But this time...it's not the same.

Hiccup slides out of the saddle, wincing as a pain shoots through his shoulder. He sighs and shakes it off, trying to ignore it. Toothless coos again and lays down, moving his wing to make room for Hiccup. The young viking nods and sits down beside him, leaning against the dragon's warm body. He curls his knees up to his chest, folding his arms around them, and closes his eyes.

He knows it's just a matter of time before someone comes looking for him. At that point, he'll have to return to his home and keep on pretending everything is okay. His father will call him a hero again and the villagers will cheer. He'll laugh it off and pretend it's nothing...

Hiccup's breath hitches and he buries his face in his arms, noticing the concerned whimper he recieves from Toothless. He feels bad now, he should tell Toothless he's okay...

But he's tired of telling people he's okay.

He _isn't_. He's not entirely sure if he ever will be again.

_Why do I feel like this...? _He asks himself. _Dagur was my enemy...he tried to murder me...I...I should be happy he's gone..._ His breath trembles again and his eyes burn from the threat of tears. _I should be relieved...he can't hurt me or my friends ever again..._

Toothless stares at his Rider, watching the uneven way his breaths are coming, the way his shoulders are trembling. Is Hiccup crying? He whimpers again and paws at the boy's leg. He hates this. Dagur is gone for good! But his little Rider is still suffering... And now, for the second time in his life, Toothless wishes he spoke human. That way, he could comfort his friend in a way he would understand. But he can't speak Hiccup's language. And, even though the boy and his dragon have a deeper understanding than mere words could convey, Hiccup seems to have closed himself off. Like he doesn't _want_ Toothless to see how much pain he's in. So he's bottling it up, hiding it away so no one has to see it...

Hiccup is too selfless. Just like always...

* * *

"Thank you, Merek, for protecting our kids." Stoick smiles at the other man, patting him on the back. "And I'm sorry your training got cut short."

"That's quite alright." Merek assures him. "Those kids have been through a lot recently. I think it's best if they get some rest now...I can handle these two on my own." He motions to Ambereyes and Scorch, who are watching their master. Both Needlemouths coo and purr when he points to them.

"Good luck with the occuptation as well." Stoick tells him, refering to Cedany's new installment on Berserker Island. Without their leader, the Berserkers would have anarchy. So, with Stoick's agreement, Merek and the other mainlanders are moving in to keep them under control until they can elect a new chief.

Merek nods. "Thank you." After a moment of thought, he lowers his voice and adds, "Best of luck with your boy as well...Hiccup is a good kid. I hope he recovers okay."

Stoick snorts. "He'll be fine in a few weeks. He's had worse wounds than that!"

"I didn't mean the wounds..." Merek mumbles, causing Stoick to tilt his head in confusion. "Keep an eye on him, Stoick. He'll need you now more than ever."

* * *

"Come on, girl. They've got to be around here somewhere..." Astrid says as she steers Stormfly through another series of canyons. The waves pound against the rocky towers, spraying mist into the air that Astrid can feel on her face even at her high altitude. _Hiccup, where did you dissapear to this time...? _She doesn't like the idea of him being alone right now. Not only is he badly hurt, he just witnessed something...really terrible.

And somehow, the knowledge that he has Toothless with him isn't very comforting. That dragon is good for a lot of things...but right now, Hiccup _needs_ another human being to talk to.

Maybe, if she's lucky, he'll open up to her.

* * *

Toothless's head pops up, his ears twitching when he hears something. The sound of a very familiar pair of wings. The Night Fury coos and nudges Hiccup's shoulder, eager for his Rider to finally find some form comfort.

Hiccup glances at him, revealing bloodshot, tear-stricken eyes. He opens his mouth as if to say something but stops when he also notices the sound of Stormfly's approach. His heart jumps and his stomach twists into knots. _No...not Astrid...not now...!_ He hurriedly wipes his eyes on his sleeve and tries to make sure his voice won't hitch when he tries to speak.

The blonde girl and her Nadderhead land on the sea stack a few moments later and, immediately, Astrid can feel the struggling atmosphere hanging around Hiccup. He won't look at her when he says,

"Uh, h-hey Astrid!" His voice wavers slightly, making Astrid grimace. Why does he have to put on a strong face all the time? "S-sorry I took off so quickly...I uh...just needed to get some f-fresh air...is all..."

Astrid frowns and she sighs, deeply. "You're such a bad liar, Hiccup..." She breathes as she hops off Stormfly and strides over to him. Without a moment's hesitation, she sits down in front of him and takes his hands. They're cool to the touch and shaking slightly.

Hiccup doesn't say anything else. And he still won't look at her.

"He was wrong about you, you know..." Astrid suddenly says. When he still doesn't answer, she continues. "You're not weak. And you're not a coward." She tells him. Then, releasing one of his hands, she brushes his bangs from his eyes, just like she's done so many times before. A small sigh leaves her at the sight of his watery eyes. "You're strong, Hiccup. Stronger than anyone could tell before. After all you've been through...most people would have simply cracked. But _you_ didn't." She cups his face in her hands and smiles. "And I know you can make it through this as well."

"I..." He begins, his voice very soft.

Astrid nods, waiting for him to continue.

"I didn't want him to die, Astrid..." Hiccup whispers.

"I know." She replies, equally as soft.

"Why...?"

She tilts her head, wondering what he means.

"What's the matter with me? The entire village is so happy that he's finally gone. They're calling _me_ a hero! He can't...ever hurt anyone ever again. So why?! Why am I mourning the death of a murderer?!"

Astrid closes her eyes, finally understanding what's been bothering him. "Because you're different." She shrugs, almost nonchalantly. Her answer is so simply, so easy. Hiccup finally looks up, confusion marring his face.

"What?" He asks.

And she smirks at him. "You're right. Most vikings would be celebrating his death, dancing on his grave...so why aren't you?"

Hiccup bites his lip, unsure of what she's getting at. But that question sounds familiar...

Astrid soon realizes he isn't going to answer her. "It's the same as before." She tells him. "When you came across Toothless in the woods. Most people would have killed him. But you didn't. And now, with Dagur, most people would be relieved that he's finally gone. But you're not."

He sighs and stares at her, completely lost in what she's saying.

"It's because you're _you_, dummy!" She groans. "You! Hiccup Horrendous Haddock! You care! You're not just some selfish, cold-hearted person who celebrates the death of another person, no matter how cruel or harsh he might have been." She scoots closer and removes her other hand, using it to tip his chin up so he's finally looking her in the eye. "You're special, Hiccup. You're _you_ even when everyone else doesn't accept you. You're a good person, Hiccup. And more people should try to be like you, instead of the other way around."

Hiccup stares at her, dumbfounded. She's never spoken to him like that before. Heck, _no one_ has ever spoken to him like that before. "Astrid..." He mumbles, although he isn't sure what to say after that.

She pulls back, still smiling at him. "So...cheer up." She says. "I know you're upset about Dagur but there's no reason to beat yourself up over it."

He hesitates, not really feeling like cheering up. But then again, maybe's she right. Maybe this is normal...for him, at least. Finally, a little smile twitches the corner of his mouth. And that twitch becomes a chuckle when Toothless jumps to his feet and coos, licking the boy's cheek and almost knocking him over with the force of his affection. "Okay, okay..." He says, holding up his hands to fend off the dragon's kisses. "I'll try to lighten up a little."

Astrid snickers. "That's all we're asking." Then, she stands up and holds out her hand to him. "Now, let's go. I had Gothi prepare a special batch of her special medicine for you..."

His eyes widen in horror. "No you didn't!"

She grins evilly. "Don't be a baby! It works, doesn't it?!"

"ASTRID!" He whines. "I change my mind. I'm gonna go back to sulking."

The viking girl laughs and grabs his good arm, yanking him to his feet. Then, coiling back her arm, she wacks his good shoulder with a balled-up fist.

"OW! ASTRI-"

His words are abrupty cut off as she follows up with her trademark kiss. It's a lingering one, warm and caring, which Hiccup can't help but to simply melt into. When the teens eventually part, Astrid smirks at him.

"And _that's _for being _you_."

* * *

_"This is Berk. Almost a year ago, I met my best friend, Toothless. With the help of Astrid and our other friends, he and I have managed to do some pretty increadible things. All of us have changed life for good, not only on Berk, but even past our own borders. Even though we've been fighting them for generations, dragons have somehow brought us all together. And...while some people just can't let go of the past and will cling to it until their last breath...others are able to grow and change for the better. Until I met Toothless, I didn't know my place in this world. He's not just my best friend. He, and everyone else I love, are my reasons for living. They've never let me down. They've kept me alive through impossible hardships. And from this day on, I promise to do the same for them. I promise to keep them safe, no matter what. I know that someday I'll be chief and, while I'm not quite ready yet, I also know that when that day comes, I won't make the same mistake Dagur did. I'll do what's best for my people. I'll protect them. Because they protected me when I needed it most."_

* * *

_**A/N: Yup. Total mush. XD I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THIS SERIES AND STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT ONE! Thanks ;D**_


End file.
